ISLAMABAD, Sept 6: Lt. Gen Syed Arif Hasan, the president of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) said on Monday that the athletes should not to be blamed for returning without a medal from last month's Summer Games in Athens.

"It is rather our sporting system that needs to be improved," he told journalists. "There is no excuse for not having developed such a system." "Realistically speaking, we only had a chance of winning a medal in hockey and although the team did well overall, it was caught on an off day in the match against Spain."

Pakistan went down 0-4 in that game, a defeat that effectively wrecked their chances of making the semifinals. Arif said that on the instructions of President Gen Pervez Musharraf, now a proper strategy for the improvement of sports had been evolved which is to be put before him for approval in the first week of next month.

"We have done a lot of work in making the strategy which covers schools with linkages to universities, coaching at the national level, sports at the grassroots and development of infrastructure through help from the private sector."

While hoping that the future of Pakistan's sports would be bright, Arif said that he had spoken to managers of different schools in this regard and will also be holding meetings with industrialists in Sialkot to develop that city as a sporting centre.

Fund-raising also forms part of the strategy which is expected to be announced sometimes next month. Arif dismissed rumours that this month's National Games in Quetta were being postponed. "This is all wrong and the event will take place as scheduled from Sept 30 to Oct 5."

"Arrangements for holding of the Games are being made and I am sure the event will be well organised." Meanwhile, Arif who also heads the Pakistan Polo Federation is due to leave for France on Tuesday for the World Cup Championship starting from Sept 9.

The Pakistan team, that has been undergoing training in Argentina ahead of the championship, is bracketed with Mexico, Brazil and Great Britain. The party will play its matches on Sept 9, 11 and 13. "The preparations have gone off well and I hope that the team will put up a good show."