LAHORE, Sept 8: Taking serious note of Pakistan's poor performance in the Athens-Olympics, the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs has decided to probe the reasons behind the debacle and has summoned Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Pakistan Boxing Federation, Pakistan Olympic Association and Pakistan Sports Board officials at its secretariat on Sept 21 at 2pm.

The chairman of the standing committee Rai Azizullah Khan disclosed it before a group of journalists on Wednesday. A 46-member Pakistan contingent competed in hockey, boxing, athletics and swimming events but returned empty handed.

"This is a big failure and the national assembly is bound to ask from the responsible what happened there and how much national exchequer spent", Azizullah, who himself is a sports personality said.

Azizullah is the international qualified golf referee and till February this year he was the only referee in Pakistan after another one passed this course in March. He is also joint secretary of Pakistan Golf Federation.

He said that the Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary Brig. Mussratullah Khan, manager Col Yousuf and coach Roelant Oltmans had been summoned to appear before the committee. Besides him, he added, four ex-Olympians-Rashid Junior, Islahuddin, Samiullah and Hanif Khan would also appear to offer their expert comment.

The Pakistan hockey team, which took fourth position in the Sydney Olympics now claimed fifth in Athens. No Pakistani boxers could make the last four as the nation had high hopes that the players of both games would bring some medals.

Two swimmers (one male one female) and two athletes (one male one female) represented the country on wildcards. Azizullah said that the committee would not be biased against any one and would take all steps to get fair analysis of the debacle.

He said that the proceedings of the committee would be opened for the national media as he did not want to hide any thing from the nation. Azizullah said that he was unable to give a timeframe for completing the job, but, assured each and every aspect would be brought into the proceedings.

He said that as the Senate committee had started the probe of the debacle of losing the home series to India, its committee preferred to investigate into the Olympics. Details would be sought out from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the Pakistan Olympic Association (PSB) about the persons who were included in the Pakistan's contingent to inquire if their presence was essential or not and assured that the findings of the committee would be presented in the national assembly and would be made public, he added.

He said that an ex-Olympian boxer would also be invited but so far the name was not finalised adding that although the new federal sports minister Mohammad Ajmal was not at helm of affairs at that time yet he with his secretary Jalil Abbas would be present in the meeting.

Azizullah revealed that the committee comprises 16 MNAs including the Cricket-turned politician Imran Khan and urged the public to file their comments on the debacle on telephone No.9206782 at his Islamabad office.