ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Yasir Pirzada has concluded his remarkable 22-month tenure as Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), leaving behind a transformed sports administration system widely regarded as the most significant reform era in Pakistan’s sporting history.
Under his leadership, PSB introduced groundbreaking initiatives including Pakistan’s first-ever National Talent Identification and Verification System (NTIVS), bringing transparent and merit-based opportunities to talented athletes across the country.During his tenure, Pakistan’s Anti-Doping Organisation was removed from WADA’s Watch List, while an independent Pakistan Anti-Doping Board was established to strengthen clean sport standards nationwide.
Major governance reforms included the introduction of Pakistan’s first Code of Ethics and Governance in Sports, transparent sports election regulations, tenure limits for federation officials, and a formal dispute resolution mechanism.Financial and administrative reforms also reshaped the institution, with PSB adopting a paperless E-Office system, transparent e-procurement, stronger auditing mechanisms, and achieving a 90% increase in self-generated revenue.The revival of the Quaid-e-Azam Inter-Provincial Games after seven years, infrastructure upgrades across the country, and Pakistan’s preparation for hosting the 14th South Asian Games marked key milestones of the tenure.
On the international stage, Pakistan strengthened sports diplomacy through agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan while successfully hosting several major international sporting events.More than 1,157 athletes received national camp training, while cash rewards exceeding Rs. 210 million were distributed to medal-winning athletes and coaches — the first time coaches were formally included in the reward system.Observers believe Yasir Pirzada’s tenure will be remembered not merely for events or announcements, but for establishing lasting systems, laws, and institutional reforms designed to shape the future of Pakistan sports for years to come
