LAHORE: Political rivalry among various national sports federations, which has developed in the wake of Feb 4 elections of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), reached a head on Saturday with as many as 17 affiliated units changing their stance against their parent body.

In a late but significant development on Saturday, 17 units of the POA jointly announced that they will support the government of Pakistan instead of their parent body (POA) over the issue of implementation of the National Sports Policy-2005 which restricts the sports federations’ office-bearers to two tenures of four years each.

The stance of the 17 units, conveyed through an e-mail late on Saturday, indeed came as a surprise since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already decided that no such restriction will be allowed under the Olympic Charter.

The IOC has already summoned the representative of the government of Pakistan and the POA president Lt. Gen. (retd.) Arif Hasan to its head office in Lausanne, Switzerland on June 4 to settle this issue.

But with 17 units of the POA now changing their stance, it is feared that the international body will not have any other option but to suspend Pakistan’s affiliation.

The 17 units are: Islamabad Olympic Association, Athletics Federation of Pakistan, Pakistan Hockey Federation, Pakistan Gymnastics Federation, Pakistan Kabaddi Federation, Pakistan Tug of War Federation, Pakistan Netball Federation, Pakistan Ski Federation, Pakistan Cycling Federation, Pakistan Squash Federation, Pakistan Badminton Federation, Pakistan Judo Federation, Pakistan Golf Federation, Pakistan Basketball Federation, Army Sports Directorate, Pakistan Navy Sports Board and Pakistan Air Force Sports Control Committee.