PESHAWAR, Jul 31 (APP):Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Atif Khan Wednesday paid a surprise visit to Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium and inspected the ongoing reconstructing work to make it according to international need with all facilities costing Rs 1.39 billion.
Flanked by Secretary Sports Kamran Rehman, Additional Secretary Babar Khan, DG Sports KP and a team of contractors, Muhammad Atif Khan said that after the completion of work at the Arbab Niaz
Cricket Stadium, the certainly the international cricket back to Peshawar.
Speaking on this occasion soon after inspecting the ongoing work, Muhammad Atif Khan said that with the construction work Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium will accommodate 35000 spectators, having all facilities according to the ICC need. Muhammad Atif Khan said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is full of talent with the attaining international standard of the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, carrying a Test status international, it would help in bringing back international cricket to Peshawar.
He said now with the floodlight facilities the venues would be according to the international need. He said Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium host many international Test and One-Day International matches and with the up-gradation and equipping it with facilities that has currently in the Dubai Cricket Stadium, the Peshawarites would see top players in action again. He said the govt is very keen to involve the youth in healthy and productive activities and that is why initiative had been taken to provide playgrounds facilities at Union Council, Tehsil and District levels.
He said, after successful completion of more than 130 grounds across KP, 1000 grounds facilities have already been initiated and among that 40 of the total 1000 grounds would be provided in the merged tribal districts. He said normalcy has been returned to the province after the long years of militancy and it is a right time to arrange sports activities for the youth to portray the soft image of the province and involve them in productive activities.
He said the youth voted PTI to power in KP and their welfare is the prime objective of the govt. Atif Khan said that the PTI led govt started a number of activities to provide opportunities to the youth to exhibit their hidden talent and bring name to the province and the country. The Stadium had been rehabilitated with a total cost of Rs. 164 million to provide enhanced sports activities to the upcoming players. Briefing Atif Khan, Director General Spots KP Asfandyar Khan said after the execution of this project the Stadium would provide all the facilities required for modern day cricketer.
The facilities includes improvement of ground, new pavilion, changing rooms, enhancing seating capacity from 1600 to 35000 spectators with chair, additional floor will be constructed on the stairs, flood-light as it was in the Dubai Stadium, dining halls, conference halls, swimming pool, office-rooms wash rooms blocks, media galleries, VIP stands, generators for floodlit, a National Cricket Academy on the patron of National Cricket Academy presently in the Qaddafi Stadium Lahore, Swimming, two gymnasium, indoor practice, indoor practice pitches, five star accommodations for the players, digital monitoring systems.
Work has been will be commence on Abbottabad International Standard Multi-Purpose Gymnasium costing Rs, 204 million, land has been selected for Swat Sports Complex and the project has been approved as a cost of Rs. 507 million, work in full swing at Kohat Sports Complex (Indoor facilities) and will be completed very soon, that costing Rs. 172 million, the players hostel at Dera Ismail Khan Sports Complex would be completed at the cost of Rs. 64 million, Bannu hockey turf at Qazi Mohib Hockey Stadium was another successful project that completed at cost of Rs. 55 million, female indoor sports facilities at Peshawar, near to completion with the cost of Rs. 30 million, Swabi Sports Complex costing Rs. 183 million, Rustum Sports Complex in Mardan would cost of Rs. 241 million, Curtis Stadium Haripur cost Rs. 30 million.
He said hockey turf at Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Charsadda, Swat and Peshawar will be laid down at the cost of Rs. 350 million, Athletic Track at Bannu, Kohat, and Dera Ismail Khan have already been approved with the cost Rs. 365 million. He said that reconstruction of Peshawar Sports Complex had been completed with a total cost of of Rs. 164 million. The old pavilion of the Qayyum Sports Stadium was demolished and a new pavilion has now been completed containing all the facilities of international standard football arena. The new facility changing rooms, sitting area, dining halls, conference halls, office rooms, washrooms blocks, media rooms, galleries, Jawan Markez, Standby Generator and others.