ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has warned national sports federations against sending athletes or officials to the upcoming Asian Youth Games in Bahrain without obtaining the mandatory No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the government.

In a strongly worded circular issued on Tuesday, the PSB said it had “come to notice” that some federations were attempting to send their contingents on a self-sponsored basis for the Games, scheduled to be held from October 22 to 31.

“PSB is sponsoring a 53-member national contingent for the Asian Youth Games,” read the official notification. “However, it has come to the notice of PSB that certain sports federations are attempting to send their athletes/teams to the said Games on self-sponsored basis, without obtaining mandatory NOC from the Government of Pakistan/PSB. It is clarified that such participation is not recognised as an official representation of Pakistan and does not carry any merit.”

The letter recalled previous incidents where individuals and teams travelled abroad without permission, with some athletes absconding after arrival. Such episodes, the PSB noted, had “brought disrepute to Pakistan and created difficulties for genuine athletes”.

Among the cited cases were boxer Zohaib Rasheed, who absconded in Italy in 2023, and swimmer Faizan Akbar, who disappeared during a tour to Hungary in 2022. The PSB also referred to a non-affiliated mixed martial arts group that sent a team to Bahrain earlier this year, as well as boxing and baseball teams that participated in events in Malaysia and Chinese Taipei without obtaining NOCs.

The letter further mentioned a recent incident involving a group posing as a football team that was deported from Japan after attempting to enter the country without official clearance.

In response to these repeated violations, the PSB stated it had introduced a QR-coded NOC system to improve transparency and verification. These NOCs, the letter added, can now be electronically authenticated to prevent misuse.

To strengthen enforcement, the PSB said it was coordinating with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to ensure that no athlete, team, or official is allowed to leave the country without presenting a valid PSB-issued NOC at the airport.

“All national sports federations are strictly instructed to adhere to this requirement,” the notification warned. “In case of unauthorised participation, the President and Secretary General of the concerned federation will be held personally responsible.”

The letter was also forwarded to the Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) for information and necessary action.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2025