ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Inter-provincial Coordination, Rana Sanaullah, has emphasized the urgent need for structural reforms in Pakistan’s sports federations, criticizing them as “parking spaces for retired individuals.” His remarks came during a cash award ceremony hosted by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) in the capital, where the government disbursed Rs8.2 million among 36 international medal-winning athletes.
“A country of 250 million with just one Olympic gold in individual sports is a wake-up call,” said Sanaullah, referencing javelin star Arshad Nadeem’s historic gold medal win in Paris. “We need to bring in fresh leadership every three to five years to reinvigorate the system and invest in early-stage coaching to build a stronger sports culture.”
He stressed that only through institutional overhauls and youth-centric strategies can Pakistan produce consistent international-level talent.
Arshad Nadeem was awarded the highest cash prize of Rs2 million for clinching gold at the Asian Athletics Championships, while his coach, Salman Butt, received Rs600,000 for his contribution.
Among the other notable recipients:
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Cueist Ahsan Ramzan received Rs500,000 for his bronze at the U-21 Asian Snooker Championship.
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Mohammad Asif was given Rs500,000 for winning the SAARC Snooker Championship.
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Mohammad Naseem Akhtar received Rs100,000 for his bronze at the same event.
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Table tennis prodigy Abdal Mohammad Khan was awarded Rs250,000 for silver in the singles event of the U-15 South Asian Youth Championship.
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Abdal and Zunaira Khan received Rs187,500 each for silver in mixed doubles, while teammates were also awarded Rs75,000 for their performances in team events.
Special Olympics athletes were also celebrated.
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Abdul Saboor Ahmad received Rs250,000 for gold in the 400m Snowshoeing and Rs100,000 for bronze in the 200m.
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Muhammad Afaq Khan, Muhammad Moazzam Iqbal, and Muneeb-ur-Rehman were awarded Rs250,000 each for individual golds, with Muneeb winning in both 50m and 100m Cross Country Skiing.
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Relay team members including Minahil, Iqra Akram, Raveena Qurban, and Shah Galoon Hayat were also honoured with Rs150,000 each.
In addition to athlete awards, the PSB distributed Rs63.9 million in grants to 22 sports federations under both annual and special categories.
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The Athletics Federation of Pakistan received Rs10 million,
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The National Rifle Association was allotted Rs7 million,
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Handball and squash federations each received Rs5 million in special grants.
Rana Sanaullah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sports development and urged federations to embrace innovation, accountability, and youth-led planning.