March 29, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

KARACHI, March 28: The key officials of affiliated units of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) will formally meet in the city on Sunday to discuss matters pertaining to the promotion of sports in the province.

The get-together has been convened by SOA president Dr Mohammad Ali Shah at his residence.

This will be the first time in over two months that presidents and secretaries of different associations will get an opportunity to come across each other after the SOA elections that took place here on Jan 21.

Meanwhile, according to informed sources, the first meeting of the SOA general body is likely to be held in the metropolis sometime next month to take stock of issues concerning sports.

The SOA has a strength of 30-plus affiliated associations which are plagued with a number of problems including lack of finances.

The provincial sports bodies have not received a penny on account of annual grant from the Sindh Sports Board for well over a decade despite increase in the annual sports budget of Sindh manifold.

The SOA should also launch a process of accountability aimed at eradicating brief-case bodies besides binding them to hold regular Inter-district competitions.

The first and foremost thing for the new set-up is to expedite opening a permanent SOA secretariat.