LAHORE, Sept 1: Contradicting the statement of Punjab Sports Board director general Usman Anwar, the director general of the Pakistan Sports Board, Amir Hamza Gilani, said his department had nothing to do with the National Games as it was a provincial matter.
“The Pakistan Sports Board has been misquoted in the media about the fate of the National Games as we have nothing to do with it as the Pakistan Olympic Association allocates it to its provincial body and that province has to provide funds for its organisation,” Gilani told Dawn.
On Friday, Usman in a press statement had said the Punjab Sports Board will honour the decision of the Supreme Court regarding implementation of the National Sports Policy and that they would support the Punjab Olympic Association in holding the National Games only if they hold fresh elections, acceptable to the Pakistan Sports Board.
“The Punjab Sports Board has received a letter from the Pakistan Sports Board that after the directions of the Supreme Court no official of the federation or any other sports association can hold office after completion of two consecutive terms,” Usman had said.
However, the letter of the Pakistan Sports Board, which was referred by Usman, does not contain such instructions as a copy of it was obtained by Dawn on Saturday.
The letter says, “Kindly refer to your telephonic conversation with the director general, Pakistan Sports Board, about the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the National Sports Policy 2005, I am directed to enclose a copy of the decision of the Supreme Court regarding implementation of the National Sports Policy 2005 as desired.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Olympic Association secretary Khawaja Idrees issued another press statement on Saturday, claiming that the Supreme Court in its order had clearly said that the Pakistan Olympic Association and provincial Olympic associations are not affected by the judgment.
“Confusion was being created by some quarters about the holding of the National Games, citing the judgment dated May 8, 2012 of the Supreme Court in the case of Pakistan Sports Board and others versus Pakistan Volleyball Federation and others.
“This effort to create confusion is unfortunate and unfounded because in para 10 of the said judgment, it has clearly been held by the Supreme Court that the Pakistan Olympic Association and ipso facto the provincial Olympic associations are not affected by the judgment.
“It is further clarified that the letter No.F.7-4/2012-PSB(NF) dated Aug 29, 2012 written by the Pakistan Sports Board to the director general of the Punjab Sports Board does not at all prevent the Punjab Olympic Association from holding the proposed National Games,” Idrees said in a statement.
The para 10 of the judgment says: “Before parting with this judgment, we may note that the matter before us was confined to a controversy between the appellants on the one hand and respondents No. 1 to 4 on the other. Respondent No. 5, namely, the Pakistan Olympic Association was not affected by the impugned judgment and remains unaffected by our present decision.”
He further said: “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also strictly advised the Sports Ministry of Pakistan and the Pakistan Sports Board not to interfere in the sporting affairs of the Pakistan Olympic Association, its constitution and national sports federations and sought confirmation by Sept 15, 2012.
“The above narrative clearly indicates that the Punjab Olympic Association has full authority and the right to hold and organise the forthcoming National Games backed by the Punjab government.”
He also informed all national sports federations and provincial sports associations that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had given verbal assurance to Punjab Olympic Association president Syed Shahid Ali about the availability of funds for the games.
The 32nd National Games are scheduled to be held in Lahore from Oct 16 to 22.