The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) with the connivance of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) violated its own policy by sending a few athletes over 30 years of age in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia, it emerged on Wednesday.

“The PSB has set 30 years as the maximum age limit for the national athletes to represent the country in international events,” said an announcement in the media on April 13, 2009.

The announcement was aimed at bringing new talent and young blood to the fore. However, contrary to the policy announcement, at least eight sportspersons sent to Gold Coast last month were over 30 years of age while some were on the border line.

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Those who were picked in violation of the rules were weightlifter Usman Amjad Rathore (94kg) born in 1.1.1987, wrestler Umair Ahmed (97kg) born in 13.8.1987, shuttler Palwasha Bashir born in 1987, pugilist Awais Ali (81kg) born in 18. 7.1987, marksmen Aamer Iqbal (trap and double trap) born in 1.1.1972, Mohammad Farrukh Nadeem (trap and double trap) born in 29.11.1976, Mohammad Khalil Akhtar (rapid fire pistol), born in 15.4.1984 and Usman Chand (skeet), born in 18.12.1984

Strangely, both the institutions didn’t release complete details of the entire contingent as has been the practice in the past. The names of players and officials of few disciplines appeared in the press in only bits and pieces.

According to figures, as many as 30 officials besides the POA hierarchy, accompanied the 56 athletes to the sojourn according to an official document, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

The break-up was, 56 athletes – 46 men, 10 women – and 21 officials plus nine administrative staff including the chef-de-mission.

Pakistan featured in 10 disciplines in the quadrennial games and fetched one gold and four bronze, courtesy wrestlers and weightlifters, to finish 24th position overall. The athletes could not fetch any medals in the remaining eight disciplines including athletics, boxing, badminton, table tennis, squash, rifle shooting, hockey and swimming.

With the exception of wrestling, weightlifting and hockey, some disciplines were included just to accommodate the blue-eyed officials for a joyride. It’s unfortunate that there’s no check and balance in this regard. It would have been wise to set a yardstick for selection of athletes and finalising the disciplines.

The Jakarta Asian Games are around the corner and it is feared that a similar exercise will follow and the government exchequer’s money will be spent on joy-riders once again.

Tabulated under female, male and total of 56 athletes:

Athletics 1-1-2 , badminton 2-2-4, boxing 0-4-4, hockey 0-18-18, rifle shooting 2-5-7, squash 2-2-4, swimming 1-1-2, table tennis 2-2-4, weightlifting 0-5-5, wrestlimg 0-6-6.

Administrative staff of the contingent: Muzammil Hussain (chef-de-mission), Mohammad Shafiq (general team manager/president Pakistan Handball Federation), Syed Habib Shah (admin official/Deputy DG PSB), Dr Waqar Ahmed (team doctor/Deputy DG rehabilitation, treatment PSB), Fayyaz-ul-Haq (admin official/deputy secretary sports, IPC), Idris Haider Khwaja (admin official/secretary Pakistan Cycling Federation), Iftikhar Ahmed Awan (admin official/president Pakistan Wushu Federation), Mohammad Sarwar (admin official/secretary Pakistan Kabaddi Federation), Asif Azeem (press attaché/secretary Pakistan Softball Federation).

Weightlifting: Ali Aslam (manager), Mohammad Ilyas Butt (coach), Abdullah Ghafoor (56kg), Abu Sufyan (69kg), Mohammad Nooh Dastagir Butt (105+), Talha Talib (62kg), Usman Amjad Rathore (94kg) (players).

Wrestling: M. Abdul Mobeen Chaudhary (official), Mohammad Arshad Sattar (official), Abdul Wahab (65kg), Mohammad Asad Butt (74kg), Mohammad Bilal (57kg), Mohammad Inam (86kg), Umair Ahmed (97kg), Tayyab Raza (125kg) (players).

Athletics: Abida Tanveer (official), Arshad Nadeem (javelin throw), Najma Perveen (100m, 200m) (players).

Badminton: Iftikhar Hussain (coach), Wajid Ali Chaudhary (manager) Mahoor Shahzad, Mohammad Irfan, Murad Ali, Palwasha Bashir (players).

Boxing: Mohammad Nasir Ijaz Tung (official), Arshad Hussain (official), Ali Ahmed (60kg), Awais Ali (81kg), Gulzaib (69kg), Syed Mohammad Asif (52kg) (players),

Hockey: Hasan Sardar (manager), Roelant Oltmans (head coach), Mohammad Saqlain (coach), Rehan Butt (coach), Zafis Bin Talib (physiotherapist), Mohammad Nadeem Khan Lodhi (video analyst), Abu Bakar Mahmood, Mazhar Abbas (goalkeeper), Mubashir Ali, Mohammad Atiq, Mohammad Irfan Jr, Mohammad Rizwan Sr, Mohammad Arsalan Qadir, Imran Butt (goalkeeper), Ammad Shakeel Butt, Mohammad Faisal Qadir, Tasawwur Abbas, Tazeem-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Tauseeq Arshad, Shafqat Rasool, Mohammad Dilber, Mohammad Irfan Sr, Ali Shan, Rana Suhail Riaz (players).

Rifle Shooting: Junaid Waqas Iqbal (manager), Razi Ahmed Khan (secretary general/head coach), Aamer Iqbal (trap and double trap), Ghufran Adil (air rifle), Minhal Sohail (air rifle), Mohammad Farrukh Nadeem (trap and double trap), Mohammad Khalil Akhtar (rapid fire pistol), Usman Chand (skeet), Mehwish Farhan (air pistol) (players).

Squash: Sheraz Saleem (official), Asif Khan (official), Faiza Zafar, Farhan Zaman, Tayyab Aslam, Madina Zafar (players).

Swimming: Bisma Khan, Syed Mohammad Haseb Tariq (players).

Table Tennis: Mohammad Razzaq (official), Yasrab Shah (official), Fahad Khawaja, Fatima Khan, Hareem Anwar, Mohammad Rameez (players).

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2018