LAHORE, Aug 26: Federal Sports Minister S.K.Tressler has pledged to implement the sports policy before General Elections in October and said Government will not bow to the pressure of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA).

“We are very much firm and clear as far implementation of policy is concerned and we are gradually achieving progress in its implementation in true letter and spirit,” he told APP Monday.

He said a few national sports federations which have conducted their elections in line with the policy have adopted it and some have decided to conduct their elections soon.

Policy, aimed at introducing reforms in sports and injecting fresh blood in the national sports federation from top to bottom, was to be implemented two months ago but the authorities extended its deadline due to SAF Games which were to be held in Islamabad in March-April but were postponed.

“We will not deviate an inch in the implementation of the policy and will overcome all hurdles and pressure put up by POA,” he said.

Not happy with the policy which bars office bearers from contesting for the third successive term after completing two terms each of four year, the POA has challenged it in the High Court on the pretext that it was introduced and implemented without its legislation by the concerned authorities and therefore it has no legal status.

“I have a good news for POA that the policy has been approved by the Law Ministry and its legislation has been done a few weeks ago and by doing so we have also fulfilled a requirement raised by POA in the court,” he said and added “ Now we do not see any thing left unfulfilled.”

He said the Sports Ministry would pray to the Court to give an early date to hear the matter before September to decide the matter before the General Elections.

Tressler said government would not bow to pressure and delaying tactics of the POA, which was opposing the only clause of policy restricting office bearers for the third term.

“They (POA) have to go and pave the path for the fresh blood as stated by President General Pervez Musharraf,” he said.

The Federal Minister said it was wrong that International Olympic Committee has objected to the sports policy and has threatened extreme action if policy is implemented without the consent of the POA.

“We have not received any such direction from IOC which has just asked us that the elections of the National Federation be held in a fair and free manner and we are helping all the concerned federations to conduct their elections in line with the sports policy with any pressure from any quarter,” he said.

He said high-ups of POA as well Sports Federations were running the affairs of the sports from many decades and there was no significant rise in the standard of the games.