By Jan Khaskheli
 
Karachi: The Lyari Town Municipal Administration has decided to spend a bulk of the town’s development funds for the revival of sports. The town administration claims that several measures, including opening of a cricket academy, construction of a boxing arena, and renovation of Gabol Park, would immediately be taken to boost recreational activities.

Lyari Town Nazim Mahmood Hashim told The News that the absence of jubilant sporting activity for the last few years had left the enthusiastic youth of the old neighbourhood with no other alternative except to involve themselves in unlawful activities. He said that to maintain a peaceful and prosperous environment in Lyari his administration has decided to bring sports back to life in the town.

In this regard the Nazim said that a cricket academy would start functioning within few days for which a coach and eighteen players have already been selected. Hashim, who claimed to have once captained the local cricket team, added that the academy is also aimed at organising cricket tournaments at school level to produce skilled players.

Hashim further said that Rs20 million have also been allocated for construction of a boxing arena to encourage boxing. Another considerable sum of Rs58.4 million would be spent for the renovation of football stadiums, he said.

Meanwhile he proclaimed that Rs29.3 million would be allocated for the renovation of Gabol Park which had continuously been ignored by the successive governments. The Lyari Nazim said that Rs24.1 would be spent for renovation of other smaller parks. He said that the town has also planned to spend Rs190 million for street lights which would also be helpful for installing floodlights in the football stadiums.

The town Nazim said that he was assured by the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah of his support regarding the completion of the projects.

Hashim said that these efforts mean to involve the youth in sports and to prove that the people of Lyari are peace-loving rather than criminals and gangsters.

The town Nazim said that schools of Lyari were once considered as nurseries that never ceased to produce excellent players of football and boxing and a considerable number of footballers and boxers of the area even went on to represent the country internationally. He said that they want to revisit that Lyari. Hashim added that his administration wants to prove that Lyari is the fountainhead of football in the entire country and it has potential to produce best players for cricket too.

Moreover the area activists while portraying the reason of declining sports activities in their neighbourhood told The News that Lyari, once home to great soccer players, has now become a battlefield because the ‘brutality’ of the police has compelled the youth area to join infamous gangs.

Moreover Mahmood Hashim said that the town administration would help the football clubs to organise tournaments. He said that they aim to promote sports activities inviting all the youth representing different ethnic and cultural groups that have been living in the same neighbourhood for decades. He said that through by promoting sports they could remove hatred and disliking and bring the people together.