10 January 2005	Monday	28 Ziqa'ad 1425

LAHORE, Jan 9: A clause in the national sports policy restricting the tenure of main official of the national sports federation to two terms is now being changed, linking tenure to 'performance'.

This was stated by president Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt.-Gen. Arif Hasan. "The POA evaluation committee will make a report about performance of the officials and those who will perform satisfactorily will be allowed to retain offices for more than two terms," he told newsmen.

The national sports policy which was announced in the year 2001 could not be implemented mainly due to the clause restricting tenure to two terms. "The federation will have to prove their performance through the evaluation system and their annual grants will also be determined on that basis," the POA president said.

He said that POA would give a basic line to the federations to prepare their calendar of activities, focussing on the holding of competitions at U-19, women and senior levels on league basis.

"The government has increased the sports budget three times, from Rs 80 million to Rs 240 million, and each federation will get sufficient share not in lump sum, but on event-to-event basis."

He said that POA would constitute a commission to hold the elections of the national sports federation. He said that neither the POA office in Lahore nor the 'drawing room of any person' would be used to hold elections of the federation in future.

He added that the new secretary of the POA would be elected after the first Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Saudi Arabia in April. The post has fallen vacant with the resignation of Muhammad Latif Butt.