KARACHI, May 4: The process to join the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) commenced when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Billiards and Snooker Association became the first body to get affiliation with its provincial Olympic chapter.

“The affiliation of three other associations of the sport with their respective provincial Olympic bodies is expected to be completed within a week,” president of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA), Alamgir Shaikh, told Dawn on Wednesday.

He said the PBSA has asked its provincial bodies to expedite the case in order to complete the formalities at the earliest.

In the next step, he added, some departments which are affiliated with the POA would be approached for becoming member of the PBSA by raising teams and giving employment to deserving cueists.

The official disclosed that the PBSA constitution is also being amended on lines of the POA which among others envisaged changing of its nomenclature from association to federation.

After getting endorsement from the POA, the proposed amended constitution will be placed before the general body of the sport for necessary approval, Alamgir added.

The POA constitution says that at least three properly constituted provincial associations and as many departments must be members of a national federation to be eligible to be a member of POA.

It is pertinent to mention that after staying away from the POA fold since its inception, the PBSA have recently approached the POA to grant affiliation.