May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

LAHORE, May 24: As the federal government prepares to replace Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Col Salahuddin on May 31, it is being felt the rapidly declining standard of sports in the country is unlikely to improve unless an able person is appointed and some serious measures are taken on an emergency basis by the authorities.

In the past, a number of army brigadiers had been occupying the post of the PSB director general — most of them being non-technocrats —which has pretty much ruined the progress in Pakistan sports.

While major sports organisations are being run on professional ways all over the world, Pakistan government is bent upon giving step-motherly treatment to them, the most glaring example being the non-implementation of the national sports policy which was announced in 2003.

Gone are the glory days when Pakistani athletes were ruling the world in squash, hockey and were excelling at all levels in boxing and snooker too.

Such has been the deterioration that hockey, once a major medal hope for Pakistan, has not fetched any major title since 1994. Squash is no different either. After Jansher Khan left the scene in the late ’90s, no Pakistani player has been able to pose a challenge to the Europeans.

It is unfortunate then that despite such bad times in Pakistan sports in the last two decades, the federal government has continued with appointments of non-technocrats for key sports positions in the national sports federations and the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). Political pressures have played a huge role in such appointments that are void of any merit.

As for the PSB, people like Brig Rodham, Brig. Hamidi, Brig Daniel, Brig Zafar Hayat, Brig Saulat Abbas, Brig Arif Siddiqi and the now outgoing Col Salahuddin — all from army — have held top posts with Zakir Syed and Javed Ali being the only two exceptions.

Salahuddin, who has preferred to take a month’s leave before going on retirement, failed to excel in his three-year period at the helm of PSB.

Last year Col Salahuddin conveniently chose to go to Australia to attend a month-long administration course when he could easily have appointed a more capable man for the same.

During his tenure, the work on two key projects — the cycling velodrome and boxing gymnasium — in Lahore could not be resumed despite both projects being given prior approval.

The work on the boxing gymnasium stopped two years ago after 70 per cent work had been completed. The work on velodrome, the country’s lone facility for the cyclists, is in doldrums too since the last four years.

The million-dollar question is whether the new PSB director general will bring any positive change to things or will his appointment be another political one which will destroy things even further?