ISLAMABAD: Criticising the Pakistan Olympic Association for the country’s pathetic show in the recent-held Tokyo Olympics, the executive committee of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Friday urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to take up the matter in order to save Pakistan sports from further decline.

The meeting agreed that the name of Pakistan would be used only by those who followed the government’s guidelines.

Fehmida Mirza, the Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry and PSB president, presided over the executive committee meeting in Islamabad.

“The meeting also discussed the poor performance of the POA at the Tokyo Olympics,” read a press release issued by the IPC Ministry.

It added that the meeting participants showed their concern over the POA delegation sent to Tokyo Olympics. “The POA is responsible for [the] mismanagement at the Tokyo Olympics.”

In view of Pakistan’s alarming decline in international sports, the participants emphasised that the matter of POA’s performance should be taken up Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During the meeting it was informed that no performance audit of the POA had been done, the release added.

Expressing their concern, the participants said that there was an urgent need for Pakistan to devise a unified national sports policy.

“Can’t go the old way now,” the press release said.

Here it is relevant to note that the executive committee has no POA representation and it is headed by IPC minister and comprises DG PSB, IPC secretary, joint secretary and an official of Nespak.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2021