Lahore will hold an International Olympic Committee (IOC) activity to celebrate the International Day of Sports Development and Peace this week.

A seminar by the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), an affiliated body of the IOC, will discuss sports development and peace.

Director General of Punjab Sports Usman Anwar and Federal Sports Secretary Chaudhry Ijaz Chaudhry will also attend the function. The presidents and secretaries of national and provincial sports bodies and Olympians will also attend the IOC seminar on Monday. The participants will also discuss ways and means for the growth of sports in the country.

In the last two years, the government has taken lethal attempts by challenging the authority of the global sporting body, IOC, by holding the elections of a parallel body, POA. The government also patronised it despite the fact the IOC warned it that the act could result in the suspension of Pakistan from the international sporting community. But the government continued its support to patronise the POA, led by Akram Sahi, against the IOC, led by retired Lt Gen Arif Hasan. However, when the IOC was on the brink of disassociating Pakistan, the government decided to accept IOC’s recognized POA, headed by Arif Hasan. Federal IPC Secretary Ijaz did a good job as his timely intervention saved Pakistan’s IOC membership.

Now, the likely presence of two key officials of the government sporting bodies in the IOC function seems a good sign, and hopefully the government will realise the importance of the POA and its affiliated national sports federations. In fact, the POA and sports federations are the legitimate platform to help Pakistani players to show their mettle in international events. Players need the maximum patronage of the government in promoting sporting activities to turn the mind of the youth to healthy activities.

The renowned table tennis club of Lahore, Chroma Club, will observe the World Table Tennis Day. The day is being celebrated by International Table Tennis Federation and its affiliated bodies. ‘Table Tennis for All’ is the slogan of the day. The Pakistan Table Tennis Federation is organising table tennis tournaments across the country with the help of its affiliated units. Amroha Club and Islamia Club are organising tournaments in Karachi, while the KPK Table Tennis Association is observing the day by staging ‘All Pakistan Masters Cup’ in Islamabad while Chroma Club will celebrate the day in Lahore.

Men and women players will participate in junior and senior events in Lahore. Chroma Club is the only unit in Lahore which has been promoting the game for the last 10 years as it has organised national table tennis championships several times.

Lahore will also organise an international weightlifting competition next month. The Pakistan Weightlifting Federation with the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) is organising the event as part of the International Punjab Sports Festival. The federation has extended invitation to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the UAE to send their men and women teams for May 9 to 18 events.

Such international events are necessary to attract foreign teams to Pakistan as countries are reluctant to visit Pakistan due on security grounds.

The Pakistan Weightlifting Federation has also announced that trials will be conducted from April 15 to 16 to pick the Pakistan team. No doubt Pakistan have international level weightlifters and they will give a tough time to foreigner competitors.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2015

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