ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sports Board has called a meeting of sports federations and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) for Tuesday to take them into confidence over Inter-provincial Games, slated to be held at the Sports Complex (PSC) here from June 9 to 12.

Sources at PSC told Dawn that many federations had been showing their reservations over the PSB for turning the National Games into Inter-provincial.

According to budgetary documents, Rs100 million were allocated in fiscal year 2014-15 for holding of the National Games, however, the PSB didn’t organise or facilitate the games during the 11 month of financial year.

And now, it is going to hold the event in June in harsh hot weather.

According to the precedent, all federations, provinces, regions and departments take part in the National Games, however, this year around, the PSB contrary to the budgetary documents is going to hold the Inter-provincial Games sans departments, claiming that the funds were allocated for conducting the first Quaid-i-Azam Inter-provincial Games not the National Games.

Though, according to the constitutions of the PSB, the governing body could not hold national or inter-provincial games, rather its role is defined as a facilitator and promoter of the games.

While conducting the events is the domain of the POA and federations under the supervision of the PSB.

The sources said some federations showed their reservations over changing of format of the games from national to inter-provincial, while some strongly protested that their disciplines (games) were not made part of the Inter-provincial Games.

According to the PSB record, around 3,000 athletes will participate in the event which will see male and female athletes competing in almost 12 games, such as athletics, badminton, football, hockey, judo, karate, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

Wrestling will be contested by male athletes only.

The sources said the federations will be briefed about the difference between Inter-provincial and National Games.

“We will try to convince them that holding the National Games is prerogative of the POA and these games have nothing to do with the National Games, rather this is an inter-provincial activity.

“Those federations which are claiming that they are ignored in this event will be taken into confidence.

“We will offer them a place in the next games,” said a senior official of the PSB, who requested not be named.

Talking about transformation of games from national to inter-provincial, the officer said it was mentioned in the budget documents by mistake that Rs100 million had been allocated for holding of the National Games.

“This money is not meant for the National Games rather it is for any mega sports activity,” he added.

When asked why the PSB kept on files during the first 11 months, the officer said that meetings and planning consumed these months for holding the Inter-provincial Games successfully.

When contacted, PSB director general (technical) Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera confirmed that federations and POA have been called for meeting on Tuesday.

However, to a query about the agenda of meeting, he didn’t divulge the specific information, evading the question by saying, “We will discuss Inter-provincial Games etc.”

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2015

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