21 August 2004	Saturday	04 Rajab 1425

ATHENS, Aug 20: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the elections of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) after the National Olympic Committee (NOC) assured them of excluding five non-Olympic sports members from the Executive Committee.

"IOC has urged us to make the body (POA) balanced as more representation was given to non-Olympic sports in the Executive Committee and we assured them of following their direction during the next General Council meeting ", said Muhammad Latif Butt, secretary, POA on Friday.

IOC has given its observations on the equal representation given to Olympic and Non-Olympic Sports in the Executive Committee during the elections of the POA held on March earlier this year. The Executive Committee comprises a house of 46 members, and it has 23 members each from the Olympic and Non-Olympic Sports.

The Executive Committee of the POA have non Olympic representatives from four Provinces, six services and departments, four women, one from athletes commission and one each from karate, taekwondo, golf, body building, tug of war, kabaddi and two from squash. The remaining members come from Olympic Sports.

POA official said IOC praised the efforts of National Olympic Committee for giving equal representation to women by establishing separate women wing to promote sports among women. -APP