The federal government has allocated Rs1.1 billion for sports development under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the fiscal year 2025-26. The move aims to improve sports facilities across the country and promote youth participation in physical activities.
According to the budget documents, two new schemes are included in this year’s PSDP. One major project is the Arshad Nadeem/Shehbaz Sharif High Performance Sports Academy at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad. Although the total cost is Rs2.85 billion, the documents did not specify how much funding it will receive this year. This academy is expected to focus on Olympic-level training and support for national athletes.
Another new initiative involves building a multipurpose sports complex and two padel courts in Faisalabad. The project, estimated at Rs241 million, has been allocated Rs100 million for the current fiscal year. It is aimed at offering the public modern sports courts and promoting new sports such as padel tennis in Pakistan.
In addition to these new plans, the government has set aside Rs779 million for eight ongoing sports projects. These include stadium upgrades, indoor gymnasiums, and development of regional training centers to support local talent.
Officials hope these investments will help Pakistan raise the quality of its sports infrastructure. However, sports experts have called for transparency in execution and timely completion of these long-promised projects.