The ruins of NCC

Pakistan’s economic hub, Karachi, is unable to host various sporting events, mainly due to the poor infrastructure in the city.

When it comes to hosting Olympic sports, the first venue that pops up in mind is the National Coaching Centre (NCC), which was capable of hosting many games in the past but now it is in a depleted state.

The NCC comes under the purview of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), which is overseen by the Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination. The foundation for the massive sports facility was laid in 1961 by the then Federal Education and Research Minister Akhtar Hussain, and the place still comes under the federal government.

In 1970, the National Sports Trust was created and the administrative control of PSB coaching centre in Karachi was transferred to the Trust, which was subsequently merged with the PSB.

The venue, spread over 24.50 acres, has various facilities like an outdoor athletic track, football ground, gymnasium hall, tennis courts, mini boxing hall, squash courts, fitness centre and a hostel.

However, none of them is actually in a healthy condition. Let’s have a look at each facility and the problems it is facing.

Expired track causing injuries

Tartan track at the NCC is the only track in the city that can be used by the public. The 400-meter track was laid in 1996 and was expired way more than a decade ago.

Still, there have been no efforts to change the track and it can be injurious to the athletes.

Speaking about the track, athlete Moeed Baloch maintained that the athletic facility has become dangerous after the expiration, pointing out that many areas of the track have lost the balance that is causing injuries to the players.

“Despite the chaotic situation, we are forced to come here as there is no other track facility in the city,” he said, adding that a new track has been laid at the NED University but when he went there, he was not allowed to enter.

Athletes from Karachi have been demanding a new Tartan track for many years, but so far, the work is just limited to paper.

Due to the deteriorated condition of the track, Karachi has lost the opportunity to host national events many times.

Decade long delays 

Many developments and up-gradation projects are pending for years in the NCC, and a boxing gymnasium is at the top of the list. The building is almost 80 per cent completed but it has not been functional for many years.

The project was started in 2004 at a cost of Rs39.595 million but due to numerous delays, it is estimated that it will now be completed at the cost of Rs133.671 million.

The new PSB director has been given the task to complete the project in this financial year. As per details, labourers are busy with the electric wiring work and installation of equipment, including lights and fans.

Another pending project is the 20-room hostel for the athletes. There is an 18-room hostel present in the NCC; however, it is almost in ruins.

Due to the dilapidated condition of the hostel, sportspersons find it tough to stay in that facility. As a result, sports camps are not usually set up there, and even if they are, players arrange accommodation outside the coaching centre.

Moreover, PSB’s plan to construct apartments for its staff members has also been delayed for many years.

The dilapidated condition of the football field

The NCC has an international-sized football field, but due to its poor condition, playing there is nothing short of asking for trouble.

There are even potholes at some spots of the field, which can cause severe injuries to players. Furthermore, there is no proper maintenance, the grass is uneven and there are even bushes grown up at some places.

In the seventh-largest city in the world, there is not a single football ground that matches the international standards.

Injured fitness centre

The gym is a basic requirement for any and every athlete these days. The fitness centre at the NCC is merely a fitness centre by name, and it does not have the required facilities.

Baloch revealed that there are a few equipment in the centre but they are not in line with the modern-day fitness requirements.

Private academies on government land

NCC in the metropolitan city has become a permanent source of income for private coaches. Many coaches of different sports are conducting private coaching classes in the NCC, charging at least Rs2000 per child and not paying a dime back to the PSB.

A father who takes his son to the NCC to a coach told Bol News that he wanted to encourage his five-year-old to play physical sports outdoor instead of playing games on his mobile phone.

He revealed that he pays Rs2,000 to a coach for training his son three days a week, adding that he did not know that these trainers are not a part of the PSB.

There are trained coaches from PSB in their head office in Islamabad; however, there is no coach associated with the sports board in Karachi’s centre who can train the players.

Tennis court’s misery

The sports facility has two cement tennis courts, but they are in a state of disrepair. The coaching centre’s staff shared that till a few years ago, people used to come and play there, but no one turns to them now.

Sindh Tennis Association Secretary Khalid Rahmani mentioned that he has asked the PSB to hand over the courts to his body, claiming that if the request is approved, they will not only prepare them from scratch but also play tennis there daily.

“We will also have activities to promote tennis in the city,” he claimed.

Director post dilemma 

The lack of interest of the PSB in Karachi’s centre can be gauged from the fact that no 18-grade officer has been appointed as the director of the country’s largest city’s sporting facility since 2008.

Recently, Shahidul Islam, the Deputy Director of the PSB, has been given additional charge of NCC Karachi.

Earlier, the centre was run by the acting directors, while it did not have even an acting director for the two years prior to that, which severely affected the day-to-day affairs.

Sources revealed that the newly-appointed director of the centre has declared the facility as destruction in his report after a detailed visit.

Poor drainage system 

While the NCC faces numerous challenges, another problem is the poor drainage system. During the monsoon rains in the city, rainwater enters the coaching centre from the road and cause havoc.

No one has batted an eye on the problem and no measures have been taken to resolve the issue so far as this massive sporting facility is left to sink under the rainwater every year.

Potential revenue stream

According to sources, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the NCC Karachi was one of the highest-earning points of the PSB.

Sports events were organised there by private schools and the corporate sector which raised a lot of revenue.

Since the coronavirus-related restrictions have been eased, the series of sports events has started again at the venue.

Shakir Hussain, an event organiser, said that the facility is located in the heart of the city.

“Due to the location of the NCC, citizens can easily reach there; however, due to a lack of facilities, they face difficulties,” he said. “Washrooms and changing rooms have not been used for long due to a lack of cleanliness. The centre lacks basic necessities.”

The lack of cleanliness has led to overgrown bushes in the coaching centre. Due to which dogs and cats are roaming around freely in the facility.

“The playground should not only be only clean but its quality should also be maintained according to the health principles,” he maintained.

Lack of Athletic Equipment

Moreover, the NCC, one of the largest sporting facilities in the city, lacks athletics-related sports equipment for the sportspersons.

According to Baloch, there are no athletics hurdles in the Karachi centre due to which athletes cannot practice there. Further, mattresses for high jumps are in a very shabby state, which can cause injury to an athlete.