Maritime Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry seeks comprehensive revision of PQA sports policy

ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Board to review its sports policy and directed a comprehensive revision in line with current national and departmental requirements.

The minister directed that the revised policy focus on departmental sports, player development, coaching and training, transparent selection mechanisms, improved sports facilities, incentives for players and clearly defined institutional responsibilities.

He also proposed a unified sports policy for Pakistani ports and directed the organization of a talent-hunting camp at Port Qasim to identify promising players.

Chairman Port Qasim Authority Rear Admiral (Retd) Syed Moazzam Ilyas informed the meeting that the authority would establish a multi-sports complex featuring cricket, hockey, badminton, table tennis, swimming, basketball, squash, athletics and football.

The board has earmarked a 9.6-acre amenity plot for the project. The first phase, comprising a cricket ground, will be put out to tender, with the contract to be awarded to the lowest bidder.

Under the proposed policy, a dedicated directorate will oversee sports development and related activities. The services of senior players will also be utilized as coaches to train newly recruited athletes.

The minister further directed that players from Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Port Qasim Authority be combined to form a new international-level cricket team.

The meeting was attended by the PQA chairman, members of the HR committee and other board members.