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

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LAHORE, Aug 26: The tussle between the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) over the national sports policy has deprived the Pakistan baseball team from participating in the 14th Asian Games to be held in Busan, South Korea from Sept 30 to Oct 14.

The Pakistan baseball team had qualified for the Asiad after getting runners-up position in the last Asia Cup held in Indonesia in 2001. Pakistan had lost to Indonesia in the final.

Top three teams of that competition, namely Indonesia, Pakistan and Thailand qualified for the Asian Games.

The POA and the PSB had included baseball in the first list of the Pakistan contingent which was sent to the Asian Games organising committee in January this year. But later, the POA did not send the entry to the organisers.

It was learnt that the PSB was ready to include the baseball game in the official contingent because its secretary Khawar Shah on the instructions of the board had supervised the elections of the Punjab Football Association and Punjab Badminton Association under the new sports policy. As the POA is not accepting this policy, therefore, it is not happy with the baseball federation.

The POA is also delaying the matter of granting full affiliation to the PBF according it provisional affiliation only despite a LHC order.

 LHC also ordered the POA to hold the elections of the PBF in three months and grant full membership to the federation.

But no action was taken as yet. However, non-affiliation with the POA should not be a hurdle for including baseball in the contingent. Pakistan Yachting Federation got the POA affiliation after its two yachtsmen Byram Avari and a Navy officer Lt. Munir Sadiq got a gold medal in the Asian Games- 1978 held in Thailand.

When contacted the PBF secretary Khawar said that his game was hit by the dirty politics between the POA and the PSB which was ruining the sports in the country. He said that the baseball team had showed its prowess at the Asian level, after qualifying for the Games. If provided a chance this game could bring a medal for the country, he said.