PSB DG Yasir Pirzada concludes tenure marked by landmark reforms

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th May, 2026) Muhammad Yasir Pirzada has concluded his 22-month tenure as Director General of the Pakistan Sports board (PSB), leaving behind an institution fundamentally transformed through a sweeping programme of reforms that officials, sports experts, and federation representatives agree has no parallel in at least the past two decades of Pakistan's sports administration.

From digital governance to anti-doping compliance, talent identification to financial discipline, the departing Director General (DG) oversaw changes that reshaped not only how the PSB operates but how Pakistani sports is governed at every level.

The most transformative initiative of the tenure was the launch of the National Talent Identification and Verification System (NTIVS), the first formal, transparent, and publicly accessible talent discovery mechanism in Pakistan's 75-year history.

Before NTIVS, access to the national sports system depended on personal connections, media exposure, or informal recommendations, a structure that was inequitable and inefficient, leaving countless athletes undiscovered. NTIVS dismantles this model entirely.

The free, digital, five-stage programme is open to all Pakistani nationals aged 12 to 25 across more than 30 PSB-affiliated sports disciplines, excluding cricket. Any aspiring athlete — whether from Islamabad or interior Balochistan, from a city academy or a village ground — can apply online at www.sports.gov.pk, submit verified performance footage and competition records, and be formally connected to the relevant National Sports Federation for professional evaluation.

A National Talent Identification Experts Pool (NTIEP), comprising former Olympians, international-level athletes, coaches, technical officials, and sports scientists, has been constituted to conduct independent, merit-based assessments. Anti-abuse mechanisms, including mandatory evidence requirements and AI-assisted pre-screening planned for Phase 2, safeguard the system's integrity.

"This system ensures that talent in Pakistan is found through a process, not through connections," a senior PSB official said. "For the first time, a boy or girl from any corner of this country has a formal door to knock on."

In a development of significant national importance, Pakistan's Anti-Doping Organisation (ADOP) was officially removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Watch List on March 6, 2025 — a milestone confirmed in writing by WADA itself. The achievement restores Pakistan's standing in the international clean sport community after sustained institutional effort under the current DG.

Simultaneously, an independent Pakistan Anti-Doping Board (PADB) was established as Pakistan's official National Anti-Doping Organisation, with its constitution vetted by WADA and formally approved by the Federal Cabinet. During the tenure, 140 dope tests were conducted under an approved Test Distribution Plan, alongside a sustained programme of athlete education on prohibited substances and anti-doping rights.

The governance reforms introduced over 22 months represent the most comprehensive overhaul of Pakistan's sports regulatory framework in living memory.

Pakistan's first-ever Code of Ethics and Governance in Sports established binding standards of conduct for athletes, coaches, federation officials, and event organisers, with zero tolerance for corruption, doping, harassment, and abuse of authority.

The Sports Election Regulations Pakistan (SERP) ended decades of self-nominations, internal manipulation, and electoral disputes in National Sports Federation leadership.

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An independent Election Commission was notified with full legal powers, under whose auspices elections were successfully conducted across multiple federations including Golf, Alpine, Bodybuilding, Kabaddi, Squash, Bridge, Chess, and Equestrian.

The NSF Tenure Rules 2025 placed a cap on federation leadership terms, with immediate enforcement resulting in the removal of multiple office bearers for non-compliance. Pakistan's first formal sports dispute resolution body, the Panel of Adjudicators, was also constituted, processing 20 cases in under nine months.

The Sports Funding and Utilisation Regulations Pakistan (SFURP) 2025 placed a legally binding framework over every rupee disbursed to federations, while the Pakistan Sports Endowment Fund, driven to Cabinet approval during this tenure, became the first-ever permanent financial support mechanism for athletes in Pakistan's history.

The Quaid-e-Azam Inter-Provincial Games were also revived after a seven-year gap, bringing together approximately 3,000 athletes, officials, and technical personnel from across the country. Despite the scale of the event, efficient management yielded savings of approximately Rs. 75 million against the allocated budget of Rs. 317 million.

On the administrative front, PSB appointed a Chief Financial Officer for the first time, hired an Internal Auditor through a competitive process, engaged a Chartered Accountant firm for external audit, and implemented a Pre-Audit System to prevent irregular expenditure. The Board also fully transitioned to E-Office paperless administration and integrated transparent online procurement through PPRA's E-PADS.

Financially, PSB recorded a 90 percent increase in self-generated revenue in FY 2024–25 through a zero-tolerance policy on complimentary memberships and improved facility management.

Major infrastructure milestones included synthetic hockey turfs at Muzaffarabad and Wah Cantt, rehabilitation of the Roshan Khan Squash Complex, and HVAC upgrades at the Liaquat Gymnasium, awarded at Rs. 562 million with savings of Rs. 142 million. Pakistan is now actively preparing to host the 14th South Asian Games.

On the international front, MoUs were signed with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and the Pakistan–Kazakhstan Dostyq Centre was inaugurated with dedicated academies for Boxing, Chess, and Mixed Martial Arts. Pakistan also hosted several major international events, including the 7th Asian Taekwondo Open Championship, WSF Under-23 World Squash Championship, and the South Asian Badminton Championship.

Pakistani athletes secured medals at multiple international competitions during the tenure, including gold at the 3rd CIS Games, medals at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia, and the 6th Asian Beach Games.

Over 1,157 athletes received national camp training during the period. Cash awards totalling Rs. 210.941 million were distributed to medal winners and coaches, the first time in PSB history that coaches were included in the revised Cash.

A Gold Card was also introduced for Olympians and medal winners, granting them complimentary access to PSB facilities nationwide.

The departing Director General's contribution, observers note, is perhaps best measured not in events held or funds spent, but in systems built and laws enacted, systems that, unlike individuals, are designed to endure.