ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) has decided to establish sports facilities in Islamabad`s public schools.

The decision was made at a meetingchairedbySecretary IPC Mohyuddin Wani and attended by officials from Pakistan Sports Board, Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and Inter-Board Coordination Commission, said a statement issued by the ministry.

Every year, funfair type of sports galas are organised that are insufficient to promote professional sports.

Other than a few elite schools, there is largely noconcept of professional sports in private schools as well.

`Since we have no proper sports infrastructure at school and college level, our country has failed to produce medal winners in Olympic Games. Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem won the first individual gold medal in Olympic Games last year and the entire country celebrated it. So there is a need to focus on schools and colleges, which are nurseries,` said a schoolteacher.

He said cricket, which is a most popular game in the country, is also facing a decline in its standard.

Recently, Pakistan Cricket Board launched a talent hunt programme for budding school and college cricketers to hone cricketing skills of young boys and girls underthe eye of PCB coaches. This pathway programme has been envisaged to promote cricket at the grassroots level and discover new talent by providing opportunities to around 1,000 cricketers every year. According to PCB, the top performers will be picked from school teams and will be considered for U-15 and U-17 teams.

Sources said Islamabadbased public and private schools were not showing any serious interest in participating in the event.

Secretary IPC, when contacted, however, said the government would ensure maximum participation of both private and public schools teams in the programme of PCB.

Meanwhile, the statement said the meeting decided to lift invisible restrictions onthe use of sports facilities at the Pakistan Sports Complex, paving the way for optimal utilisation.

The meeting decided that PSB will collaborate with FDE, the federal board and IBCC to develop a timetable for sport activities in Islamabad. The meeting also decided for competitive environment to create a cadre of boys and girls trained in a competitive environment, promoting sports development in the region.

The statement said it was decidedthatthedirectorgeneral PSB will ensure implementation of the decisions made in the meeting.

`We want to promote sports, foster a culture of physical education and encourage healthy lifestyles among students,` said the se cretary IPC.