November 25, 2006	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 3, 1427

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LAHORE, Nov 24: International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Dr Jacques Rogge said Pakistan has great talent in sports and the international body would provide technical and financial assistances to groom it further.

Talking to journalists at the residence of IOC representative in Pakistan, Syed Shahid Ali, on Thursday night, Dr Rogge elaborated that like in the past, the IOC was ready to provide all technical and financial assistance to Pakistan, to bring it at par with the other top nations.

"I believe the area has great potential in sports and like cricket it can produce talent in other sports for which the IOC will play its role," Jacques said.

"My visit to Pakistan will be more helpful to serve the cause of promoting the game in this country," The IOC president said.

Rogge said the IOC had a very strong policy to curb the use of banned medicines by the athletes and it had been acting upon a strict anti-doping policy.

"It is necessary for healthy and fair play to discourage the use of drugs and other banned medicines and for which IOC will take every step," he said.

The president said he had useful meetings with the president of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

"The president and prime minister have a great love for sports and they are also keen to promote it and we shared different ideas in this connection," he said.

He said the International Cricket Council (ICC) must file a request to the IOC if it wanted to come under its umbrella.

He said he also loved cricket, but the ICC had to fulfill the rules and regulations to become an affiliated unit of the IOC.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has cancelled a press conference and a dinner in honour of the IOC president, scheduled for Saturday.

POA secretary Abdul Khaliq Khan said the press conference was cancelled because the president had already talked with the media and the dinner was cancelled as the President of Pakistan had ivited the IOC president at a function to be held in honour of Chinese president at 'Shahi Qila' on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the IOC president visited Government College, University, Lahore in morning.