August 27, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Saani 17,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: Chances of Pakistan fielding their British import Carla Khan at next month’s Asian Games in Busan have been dealt a blow by the Olympic Council of Asia regulations which render her ineligible to compete.

Secretary of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), Latif Butt in a letter to the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has said that the Asian body has asked them to follow the technical handbook of the Games and article 40 of the OCA constitution in this regard.

Carla, daughter of the great Azam Khan, who was born in Britain but also holds a Pakistani passport, is said to be a sure bet to win at least a silver medal at the Asiad which is due to open on September 29. The squash managers here are therefore keen that she takes part in the Games.

But this now seems to be a difficult proposition because her eligibility would have to be determined by four clauses as advised by the OCA with the first being that she should be a Pakistani national and second, she should have this country’s passport.

While Carla, world ranked 43, fulfils the first two requirements, it are the clauses three and four which should leave her out of the Asiad party. According to these two she should not have represented any country other than Pakistan at the junior or senior level and must have lived here for the past three years.

This therefore means that whatever hopes the PSF had of a medal have been virtually dashed leaving the PSF Secretary Wing Commander Sajid Waheed to take a swipe at the POA. “We cannot fight with the Games organisers because we have to route everything through the POA which already seems to have given up.”

Sajid said that the POA must realise the PSF has invested a lot of money on Carla and her missing the Asiad may well mean that she may also not be able to take part in the SAF Games which Islamabad host next year.

“It is the responsibility of POA to plead our case at the top level so that we do not lose a medal,” Sajid said while pointing out that Latif Butt was also the vice president of the OCA and therefore well placed to exercise his influence.

Carla, who also missed the recent Commonwealth Games in Manchester because of similar regulations, has been a frequent visitor to Pakistan in recent months and only in July had won the National Women’s Championship in Bhurban.