KARACHI - The Sindh government under its annual development programme (ADP) in the current years budget decided to launch a fund with an initial amount of 50 million aimed at providing financial assistance to the needy and financially stressed current or former sports persons. A similar kind of fund with much bigger amount was launched two years ago for the persons related with arts and culture. According to the budget document, the Sindh government had proposed in the ADP to initiate endowment fund in the field of sports of Rs 200 million which would be spent in the next three years. However, initially Rs 50 million has been sanctioned in 2011-12 budget and the remaining allocated amount would be spent in next three years. During the past many years, voices were raised to set up a fund which would provide assistance to ailing and needy sportsmen who had served the county and the province in various sports. A number of former footballers, malh, hockey players who had made their mark in their fields had approached the government and other organisations for help in the past. Some of the former footballers were lucky to get help but a number of others who were sick and bed ridden failed to get help because there was no provision or money set aside in the budget to help them. Under ADP, a total of Rs 310 million has been allotted for completion of on going projects and initiating new development schemes. Endowment Fund falls under new scheme category. Among the proposed new projects that would begin during the current year is laying of Astroturf at Khalid bin Waleed hockey ground located in the PECH and rupees two million has been set aside as seed money for the project which is expected to be ready by 2013. An amount of two million has also been earmarked for the construction of a new mini stadium at the vacant plot in front of Gilani Railway Station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. A table tennis complex would be built in block F of North Nazimabad. Lights would be installed at cricket ground in Shaheed Benazirabad, mini stadium would be built at Ghani XI football ground near Essa Nagri in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. A mini stadium would also be constructed at Sehwan. Money has also been allotted to construct/rehabilitation of Bakhtawar Sports pavilion/mini stadium at Naudero district Larkana. A sports stadium would be constructed at Landhi under the ADP. Funds have also been allocated for the on going seventeen projects across the province.