PESHAWAR, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – June 20, 2021): The Minister of Finance and Health, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Taimur Jhagra, inaugurated four international standard badminton courts here on Sunday, including one for women with a synthetic floor in the Hayatabad sports complex.
The courts were completed under the prime minister’s 1,000 playground projects at a total cost of 120 million rupees.
Taimur Saleem Jhagra appreciated the phase of work done by Sports Secretary KP Abid Majeed, General Director of Sports KP Asfandyar Khan Khattak, Project Director Prime Minister 1000 Games Facilities, Murad Ali Mohmand, Deputy Director Ameer Muhammad, Deputy Director of GIS ( IT) Zahid Shah and Arsalan Kan.
“Such courts are of international standard that would help our players to come and take exposure of much needed international standards,” he said while addressing a press conference at the same venue shortly after the courts opened. He said that the government is fully focusing on youth development and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is monitoring every facility that has been developed to ensure the provision of international standard facilities. He said that the encouragement of the players will continue and that is why world-class badminton courts are being established to promote the sport at the grassroots level.
Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who also inspected the ongoing construction work at the Hayatabad cricket stadium, expressed hope that the next PSL-7 matches will be staged at the same location that the stadium would be ready by December this year. He said the total capacity of the stadium is over 600 and the Arbab Niaz cricket stadium, another mega project around Rs. 2 billion would be ready in a year that certainly equipped Peshawar would have two international standard cricket venues on par with the standard of the International Cricket Council and the Pakistan cricket board.
Taimur Jhagra said that with such facilities, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government could bring international cricket back to Peshawar. He said that around Rs 1 billion is the cost of the Hayatabad Sports Complex and another cricket stadium would be built giving the picturesque Kalam a traditional look at a cost of Rs. 2.7 billion. The Kalam cricket stadium, he said, would guarantee cricket activities to international cricketers during hot summer weather. He added that the Kalam cricket stadium would be at the highest altitude in the world and said that the Arbab Niaz cricket stadium has a capacity of 30,000 spectators and that young people from Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will enjoy international cricket with two classy cricket stadiums. world.
He said that the KP government has allocated significant funds for sports, youth affairs and other important matters.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has a very clear directive that playgrounds be set up on government land under the Prime Minister’s 1000 Playground Facilities. Answering a question, he said, the allocation of Rs. 3 billion for the construction of Playground at Union Council level in KP and Rs. 500 million for districts merged with a similar purpose to have a UC-level playground, following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision, could be used under Prime Minister’s Playground Project 1000.
He said Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has ordered to release the funds for development projects before July 1, 2021 and the possibility is that hopefully we can release such funds even before July 1, 2021.
Timur Saleem Jhagra said that the economic situation will improve significantly in the next two years. He said they were providing opportunities for KP youth, including merged areas for healthy sports activities. These badminton courts are a link in the same chain. He said that the citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would soon have the opportunity to watch international competitions, both at the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium and Hayatabad Cricket Stadium.
It is a joy to all that Peshawar has become the only city in the country to have two international cricket stadiums. Construction work at Hayatabad Cricket Ground and Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadiums is in full swing, he added.
On the occasion, the provincial minister also visited the indoor women’s gym and inspected the facilities. Responding to a question, Taimur Jhagra said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s development budget was the highest in terms of rate compared to other provinces. Punjab has 21 percent of its total budget, while Sindh has 22 percent of the development budget. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated 33 percent of the total budget for the 2021-22 financial year for development works, which is the highest in the country.
