April 14, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 13: Egyptian weightlifting coach Reda Abdel Rhaman El Batotti was sacked after an ensuing row with the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) over the selection of the Pakistan team.

The decision to remove him came after he sought the favour of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to resolve his differences on various issues with the PWF.

In his two-page request to the PSB the coach alleged that he had not been treated fairly by the federation on various occasions including his role in the selection process of the Pakistan team.

Batotti, told Dawn that the Pakistan weightlifting team, for the Beijing Olympics qualifier scheduled for April 23 in Japan, was not selected on merit.

Earlier, a six-member PWF team was announced to participate in the 39th Asian Weightlifting Championships for the Beijing Olympics qualifier.

Umer Rasool Lone, Usman Amjad Rathore, Hassan Aslam and Rizwanullah Khan Lodhi and two officials — Reda Abdel Rehman El Botatti (coach) and Anjum Asif (manager) were named in the squad for the qualifier.

The crestfallen coach, said that he knew nothing about the selected players, Umer Rasool Lone and Hasan Aslam, as to what supplements they had taken including their training and strength level.

The coach further alleged Umar Rasool Lone and Hasan Alam had never attended a single training session.

Three time world champion Batotti said that it was unfair and unjust that you were not selecting an in form weightlifter, Abdullah, who showed good ratio at the national level tournaments.

Abdullah had clinched the silver medal in the Asian Junior Weightlifting championship held, back in the year 2006. He is currently the national champion in his 56kg category.

Batotty’s coaching services were hired by PWF on $1,500 per month contract in June 2007 till the 11th South Asian games scheduled to be held in the year 2009 in Bangladesh.

Under the Egyptian coach, Pakistan has won six medals in the 20th Asian Junior Weightlifting Championship held in 2007 at Amman,Jordan.

When asked what action was taken regarding his two page complaint made to the PSB against PWF, the coach said that not a single point was taken up by the board to settle his differences with PWF.

Meanwhile, a PSB official on condition of anonymity said that they had received the complaint from the Egyptian coach two weeks ago and sought a reply from PWF.

In their reply, the official said, PWF claimed that the coach wanted to leave the job on his own and for this federation had ended the contract.

He stressed that PSB had no concern whatsoever with the said issue as PWF had hired the coach on their own terms and condition while sports board only pays the fees of the coach.

The official said that the matter was also brought to the notice of D.G. PSB Lt Col (r ) Salah-ud-Din.

When asked why a harsh statement has been used by PWF in their letter, advising the Egyptian coach to proceed to his country at the earliest but not later than April 15, the official didn’t make any comment.

Hafiz Imran Butt the General Secretary PWF who issued the letter was not available for comment, despite repeated attempts by this by this scribe to contact him.