LAHORE, Jan 8: Responding immediately to decisions taken by Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) at a meeting held in Islamabad, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has rejected any PSB’s plan to hold the 32nd National Games again in Islamabad.
POA president Lt Gen (retd) Arif Hasan has categorically said in an official statement that staging the National Games was the sole prerogative of the POA, not the PSB, which is also in line with the National Sports Policy-2005.
It is important to note that the PSB intends to stage the National Games in Islamabad with the matter being taken up at a meeting held on Tuesday.
“The POA has already organised the National Games in Lahore from Dec 22 to 28, 2012 in which 10 out of total 13 units took part,” said the POA statement.
“The prerogative of holding/awarding the National Games is POA’s, by right and convention. No other entity can hold any games under the name of the National Games.
It is tantamount to serious trespass, much similar in manner for someone to assume the authority to hold/award the Olympic Games or the Asian Games.
“The National Games awarded by POA are a bi-annual affair and having just held these Games in Lahore under its aegis, the POA shall hold/award the next Games for 2014 in due course. That is why even the two departmental member organisations of the executive board of the PSB, reportedly resisted the move of holding the National Games again,” it further said.
“These may indeed have serious consequences keeping in view the established norms of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Olympic Council of Asia and the international federations for these amount to trespass and intervention in the autonomy of the established principles of autonomy of the POA and national federations,” the statement concluded.
Also, the POA president reiterated his stance while talking to reporters, saying the PSB executive board meeting violated its own rules and procedures, adding that the meeting was also in contravention of apex court’s decision.
He said neither the POA nor hosts Punjab Olympic Association stopped Army, Navy and PAF from participating in Games, adding that the services didn’t take part in the event out of their own free will.
Answering a question, he said if the PSB decided in its meeting to impose ad hoc on the POA, it would be interference by the government in POA’s affairs as a result of which the IOC might take serious action against Pakistan.
He reiterated the POA was an independent body working under the IOC Charter, not the PSB or government, adding that as an affiliated body of the IOC, the POA would inform it about all decisions of the PSB but after receiving official minutes of the meeting.
Claiming that there were several unauthorised representations from several federations and organisations, who attended the meeting in Islamabad, Arif also said that most of them were not even POA members.
He also asked the PSB to issue the attendance sheet, adding that action would be taken against those sports federations who attended the Islamabad meeting.
Meanwhile, the PSB also issued a press release, stating: “In view of the fact that the sports activities in Pakistan are at standstill and the development and promotion of sports is in jeopardy, the PSB held its 21st board meeting to find out a way forward.”
“The issues deliberated in the meeting included activation of sports at club level by the national sports federations, setting up of a sports tribunal to adjudicate sports matters, adoption of model constitution by the national sports federations/associations, venture into public/private partnership for development of sports facilities and personnel/budgetary matters of the PSB.
About the National Games the PSB’s statement stated: “The last issue deliberated upon was holding of the 32nd National Games. Realising that these Games lacked national character keeping in view non-participation of major stakeholders, the board has decided to hold the National Games 2013 in Islamabad.
“Being cognizant of the fact that the National Games were held under the auspices of POA which position has become questionable, the board constituted an ad hoc committee,” it concluded.