KARACHI: The Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) has deemed the trials held in Lahore for the Dubai Basketball Championship as “completely illegal” according to a press release issued by the body on Monday.

The players selected through the trials will travel to Dubai and PBBF secretary Khalid Bashir has urged the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to take immediate action and prevent the players from going abroad and stop their participation in the event.

The trials were held at the Trinity School Johar Town in Lahore for the Under-19 basketball girls and boys championship in Dubai.

Khalid stated that according to PSB regulations, players or any team participating in an international event must obtain an no-objection certificate (NOC). But Khalid revealed that certain individuals are deliberately trying to form illegal teams in the name of Pakistan and send them to Dubai.

“This illegal team has no affiliation with the PBBF,” Khalid said. “Similar attempts have been made in the past to tarnish Pakistan’s name by sending unauthorised teams abroad.”

A PBBF official on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that a private sports organising body is holding these trials in an attempt for money grab.

“Golden Sports Events is a private company trying to scam people by collecting money and sending them to private sports events,” he revealed.

Khalid, meanwhile, informed that PBBF is the recognised body by the PSB and the Pakistan Olympic Association and, therefore, they should be the one holding trials and sending the teams in the international events.

Khalid, former national hockey player, also requested the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to refrain the players from participating in the foreign tour.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024