January 05, 2007	Friday	Zilhaj 14, 1427

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KARACHI, Jan 4: With the 30th National Games just round the corner, the hosts face a Herculean task with hardly a penny in their kitty and the tiff between Sindh Sports Minister and the SOA getting more serious by the day. The Games, which have a proposed budget of Rs50 million, are scheduled to be held in Karachi from Feb 11 to 17.

Minister Qamar Mansoor has accused SOA secretary Ahmed Ali for lobbying against Sindh and terms him a ‘persona non grata.’ The latter is the organising secretary of the games.

It was in this backdrop that preparations for holding the biennial spectacle kicked off with the formal opening of SOA secretariat by the provincial Sports Minister on Thursday.

“I am expecting to get Rs20 million from Pakistan Sports Trust (PST) by next week which Gen Arif has announced at a press conference here last month,” he told Dawn when asked whether the money was released or not.

To a query the Minister who is chairman organising committee said despite not receiving a word from the PSB he has asked its top hierarchy to double their grant from Rs5 million to Rs10 million which they normally give to the hosts to supplement their funds.

He said a campaign to boost the soft image of the port city would commence soon in the print and electronic media once the presentation is approved.

The Minister disclosed he will soon apprise Sindh Governor Mr. Ishratul Ibad Khan and Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim about the mega event and seek their blessings.

Mansoor said efforts are afoot to organise an International Marathon in the city sometime this year as was held in Lahore. It will be preceded by a Mini Marathon to be held at the national level.

He asked representatives of provincial sports bodies to start their coaching camps soon.

President SOA Fakir S. Ayazuddin was also present on the occasion.