![New sports policy aims to reset Pakistan’s sporting landscape after two decades [Geo Super]](https://footballpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/psb.jpg "New sports policy aims to reset Pakistan’s sporting landscape after two decades [Geo Super]")
by Faizan Lakhani
KARACHI: Nearly two decades after Pakistan introduced its last national sports policy, the federal government has moved to reshape the country’s sports governance structure through a proposed National Sports Policy 2026, offering greater autonomy to sports federations, a new funding model, stronger provincial coordination and a renewed emphasis on grassroots development.
The proposed draft, circulated by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to the national sports federations following a meeting of NSFs representatives with DG PSB Mohyuddin Wani, addresses many of the long-standing structural issues that might have hindered Pakistan’s sporting progress, ranging from governance disputes and overlapping authority to poor funding and the absence of a coherent talent pathway.
At the heart of the proposed policy is perhaps the most significant shift in Pakistan’s sports governance in over 20 years, which is the recognition of autonomy for national sports federations and the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), an issue that remained at the centre of continuous tussle between the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and federations under the 2005 policy.
Unlike the previous National Sports Policy and frameworks, which empowered the PSB to exercise considerable influence over sports federations, including their elections and tenure structures, the proposed 2026 policy states that national sports federations shall remain autonomous bodies, while remaining subject to governance standards, international federation rules and performance-based accountability.
The draft also clearly recognises the independent role of the POA in line with the International Olympic Committee Charter, stating that no provision of the new policy would violate international obligations or IOC requirements.
The move appears aimed at ending years of friction between the PSB, POA and federations, disputes that repeatedly brought Pakistan close to international sanctions and created prolonged instability in domestic sports administration.
For years, federations resisted government involvement in their internal affairs, especially election processes and tenure restrictions introduced under the 2005 sports policy. The disagreement at one point escalated to a level where Pakistan faced the possibility of IOC action over perceived government interference in Olympic affairs.
Under the proposed framework, federations would continue to conduct their own elections, but within a governance structure emphasising transparent electoral processes, fixed tenure limits and independent auditing mechanisms, a middle path between autonomy and accountability.
Another major feature of the draft policy is its attempt to reconcile sports governance with the 18th Constitutional Amendment, under which sports became a provincial subject in 2010.
While sports legally shifted to provincial governments, the old 2005 policy, drafted when sports remained largely under federal control, continued to shape national sports administration, often creating confusion over authority and responsibilities.
The new policy formally recognises sports as a provincial subject while limiting the federal government’s role to international representation, national coordination, standard-setting and strategic funding frameworks.
To bridge the long-standing disconnect between federal and provincial sports administration, the draft proposes a National Sports Coordination Council (NSCC) under the IPC Ministry.
The council would, for the first time, bring together the federal sports minister, provincial sports ministers, the POA president, the PSB director general, representatives of national federations and the Higher Education Commission on a common platform to harmonise policies, resolve disputes and coordinate international commitments.
The proposal reflects an acknowledgement that fragmented governance has remained one of the biggest obstacles to sports development in Pakistan.
Perhaps the biggest practical promise of the proposed policy lies in its attempt to address chronic underfunding, long regarded as one of the principal reasons behind Pakistan’s declining sporting standards.
The draft proposes establishing a National Sports Development Fund, aimed at diversifying revenue streams beyond conventional government grants.
According to the proposal, the fund would draw support from federal allocations, provincial contributions, sponsorships, media rights and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding.
In a significant recommendation, provinces would be encouraged to allocate at least two per cent of their Annual Development Program (ADP) spending toward sports.
The policy also seeks to attract private investment by encouraging public-private partnerships in leagues, academies and sports infrastructure while proposing tax incentives to make sports sponsorship commercially attractive.
If implemented effectively, the proposal could reduce the financial dependence of federations on ad hoc government support and create a more sustainable sporting ecosystem.
Unlike previous approaches, which were largely focused on elite-level participation, the proposed policy places considerable emphasis on grassroots development and talent identification.
The draft calls for a National Talent Pathway System, connecting local competitions, educational institutions, provincial structures and national-level development.
Mandatory inter-school and college competitions, sports-based academic evaluation and a national athlete database are among the recommendations aimed at reviving competitive sports culture at the grassroots level.
Provincial governments, meanwhile, would be tasked with infrastructure development, grassroots talent identification, provincial leagues and club registration, while district and local governments would organise school and district-level competitions and maintain community sports infrastructure.
Each province would also be required to establish a Provincial Sports Authority, provincial talent identification systems and sports endowment funds.
The draft policy also signals an intent to move Pakistan’s sports economy beyond traditional dependence on state funding.
Clause 8 proposes the development of professional leagues in major sports, alongside the expansion of sports broadcasting and media ecosystems to increase commercial value and visibility.
The thinking behind the proposal is straightforward: more leagues, sponsorships and media exposure could generate revenues for federations while offering athletes better competitive opportunities and professional careers.
Pakistan’s sports ecosystem outside cricket has long struggled with commercialisation, often leaving athletes and federations dependent on inconsistent government funding.
The proposed draft has also hinted towards the establishment of institutions for sports sciences in collaboration with various universities to work on sports medicine, data analysis and sports management.
It also aims to ensure athletes’ welfare by introducing proper contracts and stipends for athletes, along with medical insurance and pension schemes.
According to clause 12, the athletes and NSFs data shall be digitised through establishment of a National Digital Sports Platform.
While the draft policy offers an ambitious framework, its implementation may ultimately determine whether it succeeds where previous reforms struggled.
There will be a quarterly review of NSFs performances by the IPC ministry, and annual reports will be presented to CCI and the federal cabinet.
Questions remain over whether provinces will allocate meaningful resources to sports, how governance standards will be enforced without triggering another autonomy dispute, and whether federations themselves will embrace transparency and accountability.
The proposed National Sports Policy 2026 appears to signal an important shift in thinking: from centralised control toward coordination, from bureaucracy toward autonomy, and from short-term fixes toward building a long-term sporting structure.
Whether the promise translates into performance, however, may depend less on policy language and more on political will.
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