by M Zawar
The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) is busy organizing the Sarsabz National 43rd Kabaddi Championship 2024 at Jinnah Stadium’s football turf on Tuesday. This is the same venue where the Pakistan football team is scheduled to host Jordan on March 21 for their FIFA World Cup Qualifier home leg match.
Instead of focusing on providing top-notch football facilities and installing floodlights to meet international standards for the upcoming match against Jordan, the PSB seems to be more interested in promoting themselves through other activities, like hosting a Kabaddi match on the football turf.
This situation highlights the lack of proper sports infrastructure in the country and emphasizes the urgent need for a dedicated Sports Ministry that can oversee and manage all sporting competitions effectively.
The PSB, under the leadership of Director General Shoaib Khoso, is responsible for the management of the venue, which has previously hosted matches of the Pakistan football team during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 1 and Round 2 against Cambodia and Tajikistan.
There has been a tussle between the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and PSB regarding the installation of ‘international standard’ floodlights for the upcoming World Cup Qualifier game against Jordan. Unfortunately, over the last three months, both organizations have failed to effectively communicate with each other and get the necessary lights installed on time for the match.