LAHORE: While lauding the country’s medal winners for their superb show at the recently-held Common­wealth Games, POA president retired Lt Gen Syed Arif Hasan in a surprise acknowledgement has stated that “neither the POA nor the government could play any major role in grooming” the athletes.

He was speaking here at the Olympic House on Friday in a special function organised by the Pakistan Olympic Association to honour and award cash prizes to the country’s five medal winners of the 21st Commonwealth Games held on Gold Coast, Australia from April 4-15.

Gen Arif said the entire Olympic family was feeling proud by sitting amid the country’s medal winners, who despite facing many hardships lifted the national flag at the Commonwealth Games.

“Let me accept the fact that it was all the individual effort made by these medal winners [on Gold Coast] as neither the POA nor the government could play any major role in grooming them,” the POA president acknowledged while speaking at the function.

Pakistan at the Gold Coast Games won five medals, one gold and four bronze, a result that helped them finish 24th among 71 participating nations on the medals table.

Weightlifter Mohammad Inam Butt (86kg) produced a sublime show by clinching the solitary gold medal for Pakistan while his compatriot wrestlers Tayyab Raza (125kg) and Mohammad Bilal (57kg) earned bronze medals. Weightlifters Talha Talib (62kg) and Mohammad Nooh Dastgir Butt (+105kg) also claimed bronze at the Games.

While Inam was awarded a cheque of Rs300,000, the bronze medallists and coaches of the both the sports also pocketed Rs100,000 each.

Gold Coast medallists receive cash prizes at special function

Meanwhile, the POA president warned that the standard of competitions at the 2018 Asian Games would be tougher as compared to the Commonwealth Games. Therefore, he emphasised, “there is a need that the preparations should start right now, if Pakistan wants to secure any medal” in the Asiad.

The slogan of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ raised by a good number of spectators in the competition hall on Gold Coast were the real moments which could make every Pakistani proud.

However, on a cautious note, he added, “But we have to spend our maximum resources on the available talent. These five medal winners have at least proven that they are promising. Now the government should spend maximum on them and other [capable] athletes so that they could earn success for the country in the Asian Games.”

The POA president also regretted the fact that while Inam was fighting for a medal on Gold Coast, the Gujranwala Stadium authorities were busy in getting the wrestler’s room — which he used for training — vacated.

“With such a [negative] mindset, we cannot support or encourage our players or anyone, who wants to deliver for the country,” he stressed.

Pakistan karateka Saadi Abbas, he noted, had recently obtained 10th ranking in the world. But now, the POA chief lamented, the promising athlete was struggling to get sponsorship to ensure his participation in international competitions.

“Saadi needs to participate in three international events to qualify for the 2020 Olympics,” he said.

Meanwhile speaking on the occasion, Inam while thanking the POA for honouring and recognising his achievement urged the authorities concerned to give proper attention to all sports.

“Though I am not against the game of cricket, I just want to highlight to all [concerned] that other than cricket there are other sports too in the country, which deserve better patronising,” the 29-year-old star wrestler said and hoped that Pakistan would earn some medal in the 2018 Asian Games.

Nooh while thanking the POA hoped the association would show the same gesture in future too. He said it was the first time that the POA held a function to award cash prizes to the medal winners.

Arshad Sattar, secretary of the Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF), said the Pakistan Sports Board organised a 20-day training camp for the wrestlers in Iran, adding “it has assured the PWF that a two-month camp would be held either in Bulgaria or Georgia for the wrestlers to get them prepared for the 2018 Asian Games” being held in Indonesia in august-September.

POA secretary Khalid Mahmood, vice-presidents Shaukat Javed and Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob also attended the function.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018