ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan contingent arrived here on Tuesday following their participation at the Commonwealth Games blaming lack of preparation for the event where they managed to win three silver medals and one bronze.

The 63-member squad was received by Acting Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Chaudhry Salamat Ali and other officials at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

PSB Director General Dr. Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, however, didn’t return with the contingent from Glasgow and sources informed that he extended his trip for few days.

At the Games, which see participation from former British colonies, Pakistan won medals in wrestling, judo and boxing.

Wrestlers Qamar Abbas and Azhar Hussain won silver and bronze respectively while judoka Shah Hussain Shah and boxer Mohammad Waseem were the other medal winners as Pakistan finished at 23rd place in the medals race.

“I’m satisfied with the performance of the athletes who participated in Glasgow considering they could not receive proper training in the run-up to the event due to the tussle between parallel bodies of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA),” Salamat told reporters at the airport.

He attributed the country’s failure to win gold at the event to some “biased decisions”.

“We could’ve taken gold but there were some refereeing decisions which didn’t go our way — especially during matches of Azhar and Waseem,” he said before adding that a reception in the honour of the team would be held on Friday.

The athletes, meanwhile, said the low medal count was due to the lack of proper training and the rift in the POA.

“How could we train properly when we didn’t even know about our participation one day before the event,” one of the athletes told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

Azhar, despite winning bronze in the 57kg category, said he was unprepared for the event.

“I won gold at the Games the last time but I wasn’t ready to participate in Glasgow due to the uncertainty surrounding our participation,” Azhar told Dawn. “I only took part on the request of the wrestling federation and the PSB.”

His fellow wrestler Inam Butt, another gold medallist from the last edition of the Games in New Delhi, said he was denied a “confirmed bronze”.

“Biased decision deprived me of a bronze medal against India,” he said. “It was a wrong decision of the referee.”

Apart from judo, wrestling and boxing, Pakistan also participated in swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, gymnastics and shooting.

And in an embarrassing situation for Pakistan in Glasgow, the table tennis team was stopped by the organises as they didn’t have a proper uniform.

“It was an embarrassing situation for Pakistan,” a source told Dawn. “It indicates the lack of preparedness and seriousness of Pakistani federations.

“The organisers stopped two female Pakistani players from taking part in the table tennis competition, as they were not wearing proper uniform however, Indian players provided them proper kit and they were then able to participate.”

In another incident, swimmer Israr Ahmed faces disciplinary action from the Pakistan Swimming Fedeation after leaving the squad to go to his brother’s house in Glasgow.

Israr tried to get permission from his federation to live a few days with his brother who is settled there but on his request being refused, he left without informing anyone. He, however, rejoined the squad a day before their departure.

Published in Dawn, Aug 6th, 2014