THE OPINION: The recent denials by the international sports organisations to govt-backed sports authorities for the participation of Pakistani athletes in the mega events like the Commonwealth Games should serve as an eye-opener to the rival groups of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) whose ugly tug-of-war has damaged the country’s image besides demoralising the athletes and sports buff.
The organisers of the Islamic Solidarity Games — which are being held in Palembang, Indonesia from Sept 22 to Oct 1 — first refused entry to Pakistan when they turned down a participation request sent by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on behalf of the Foreign Office and the government-backed Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) led by Akram Sahi. However, according to reports, the Games organisers have issued the accreditation cards to the Arif Hasan-led POA since his body is the only organisation recognised by the IOC.
That was followed by the snub from the organisers of the 2014 Commonwealth Games who disallowed participation to Pakistan hockey team despite the efforts of the troika (the PSB, Foreign Office and Akram Sahi’s POA).
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), despite knowing well that the government could not get an entry for its national team for the CW Games without going through the Arif Hasan-led POA group.
That means that the Pakistan hockey team will neither be featuring in the next year’s World Cup (because of its failure to qualify for it in Ipoh, Malaysia) nor the Commonwealth Games.
Ultimately, it is a national loss and has caused a lot of embarrassment to all concerned. But is anyone willing to accept the responsibility for the fiasco?
There are also reports that the Arif Hasan group is now planning to quietly send the athletes to Indonesia for it fears that the government may deny exit to the players at the airports to show its ‘strength’. The Inter-provincial minister has already stated that no athlete from Pakistan could depart for any country without having the NOC from the government.
The role of the Inter-provincial ministry and the PSB in the entire episode has sadly been quite negative. Instead of playing the traditional role of facilitator for the athletes for their participation in the mega events, these organisations have resorted to actions which are now threatening to destroy sports in Pakistan.
The Inter-provincial minister, from day one, has been supporting the Akram Sahi group, not realising that the IOC will never support it.
One feels that more investment on sports activities with better planning through right channels is the need of the time but it seems there is no think-tank working in the country to promote sports.
The real stakeholders in sports are the national sports federations and the POA which, by virtue of their affiliation with the international sports federations, could play a big part in holding international events in Pakistan and divert the youth towards healthy activities.
But that is not the case today as the previous and current governments have not taken any measures to resolve the POA dispute or promote the sports activities.
Some more bad news is also in store as the IOC Executive Board in its meeting held at Buenos Aires, recently, has also given a signal to ban Pakistan’s Olympic membership.
In what is seen as the final attempt to avoid this harsh decision, the IOC has invited Pakistan’s inter-provincial minister to its headquarters in Lausanne in the first week of October to inform him about the serious consequences an Olympic ban can cause for Pakistan.
The PSB officials and the inter-provincial ministry — who want to control all the national sports federations — have led to inclusion of unfair laws and clauses in the PSB’s constitution according to which it has the powers to suspend any sports federation besides repealing its constitution and even impose an ad hoc. The IOC has expressed serious concerns over such rules of the PSB.
Interestingly, out of some 36 national sports federations working in the country, hardly six are violating the two-term clause of national sports policy.
But instead of taking action against those six sports federations, the PSB is busy playing politics which has seen almost all the leading sports in Pakistan hitting rock bottom which is extremely unfortunate.
Mohammad Yaqoob at http://www.dawn.com
After the government-backed Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) failed to send its contingent to Indonesia for the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games due to the recognition problem, the Arif Hasan-led POA is trying to send a slim contingent for token participation in the slots, starting at Palembang in South Sumatera on Sunday.
The Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) is in direct contact with the Arif Hasan-led POA, a source close to the organising committee of the Games confided to ‘The News’ on Thursday.
But because of the immense pressure from the government the contingent, which is not likely to exceed 15 people, may proceed to Indonesia in small batches.
Departmental players are highly unlikely to become part of the contingent.Sources said that the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) had written to the departments not to issue NOC to their players for featuring in the Games.
This correspondent also learnt through highly reliable sources that the four weightlifters of WAPDA who are scheduled to depart for Indonesia on Friday (today) have not been issued NOC by their department. Abdul Ghafoor, Shehzad, Yasir Ali, Sufyan and coach Mohammad Ilyas are the ones whose entries have been confirmed.
Normally departments issue NOC to their players a month or at least ten days before the team’s departure, but this time it seems that the weightlifters will not be issued NOC and their departure to Indonesia can be cancelled.WAPDA has previously supported Arif Hasan as its players featured in the 32nd National Games in Lahore.
This correspondent has learnt that Pakistan’s contingent would get their visas and accreditation cards on arrival.
Swimming, taekwondo and karate are the other disciplines in which Pakistan is expected to participate in the spectacle, which will last till October 1.
A top official of the Pakistan Swimming Federation (PSF) told this correspondent that they were not yet sure about their squad’s participation in the Games. “We are still waiting for an official notice as there are several complications,” the PSF official said.
A source even claimed that the IPC Ministry had also written to the FIA and all airports that they should not allow certain individuals to go to Indonesia without getting permission from the government of Pakistan.However, another source said that unless the names were put on the Exit Control List (ECL) no one could stop the contingent from proceeding to Indonesia.Pakistan’s contingent had also silently proceeded to China for the Asian Youth Games because of the same conflict between the government and the Arif Hasan-led POAs.Related Article: "Islamic Games Must Serve as Eye Opener for Rival Pakistan Olympic Association Groups" .
Pakistan’s 75-member contingent of athletes and officials will appear in six disciplines of the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia from September 22 - October 1.
Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Maj Gen M Akram Sahi said at a press conference after the emergency general council meeting of the body. POA Secretary Khawaja Farooq Saeed, Senior Vice President Zafar Abbas Lak and Vice President Senator Haji Ghulam Ali were also present there.
Gen Sahi said the Pakistani contingent comprising 50 athletes, 15 officials and five headquarters officials would take part in athletics, basketball, badminton, volleyball, karate and wushu events. He said it was going to be a good experience for Pakistan players to exhibit their prowess in the meet of Islamic countries which would foster brotherhood and unity among the Muslim world.
The POA chief said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had started communication with them through emails and letters and it was hoped that things would improve between the two in due course of time. “It is a good omen that deadlock has been broken and we will be cooperating with the games’ ruling body in whatsoever matter they need our feedback,” he added.
To a query, he replied: “The IOC will not impose sanctions on Pakistan and if something happens in any manner, its responsibility will be on Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan who is heading a rival faction of the POA. As per a decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan of May 8, 2012, Arif Hasan has been declared ineligible to work as POA chief for being in third successive term which was in violation of national sports policy,” he said.
The POA president pointed out that they did not have differences with the rival faction and expected them to accept the court verdict. “I am ready to sit with them to resolve this issue which is being highlighted by Arif Hasan at the highest sports forums at international level. Our doors are open to everyone and we are even ready for a dialogue with Arif Hasan and ready to hold the fresh elections of the POA in the larger interest of sports in Pakistan,” he added.
Gen Sahi said land of law was always superior and it was hoped that the IOC would respect the decisions of apex courts of Pakistan before taking any disciplinary action against the country. “Take the example of Indian Olympic Association, which was suspended by the IOC and the matter has not yet been resolved and suspension of countries by the IOC on one pretext to another is based on certain facts.”
He said they would approach Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) regarding the seat allocated to Arif Hasan for vice president. “If his election is by name then we will let him continue, otherwise, we will request them to allocate that slot to us.”
He rejected the question that the present sports crisis had badly affected the home sportsmen due to creation of national sports federations and their non-participation in international sports events. “I think the situation will improve with the passage of time and soon we will be taking part in the Islamic Games and then onwards efforts will be made to ensure Pakistan’s sportsmen in other international events under the banner of the OCA and the IOC,” Gen Sahi concluded. (Adr).
The infighting within Pakistan’s sports officialdom continues to hurt national athletes as it feared that the country will not be able to feature in the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games to be held from September 22 to October 1 in Indonesia.
'The News’ has learnt that the government-backed Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), which is battling to topple the IOC-recognised POA, will not be able to send the national contingent to Indonesia.
Sources said that the organisers of the extravaganza have not yet sent any confirmation to the Akram Sahi-led POA which has added to the uncertainty of the country’s participation in the slots.
“The organisers have asked the government-backed POA that they are taking up the issue at the highest level and will then intimate them about the final outcome,” a source said.
Sources said that the organisers had extended invitation to the foreign ministry of Pakistan. The foreign ministry had then forwarded it to the ministry of the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and from there it was sent to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and then to the Akram Sahi-led POA.
Sources close to Sahi said that he had met the foreign secretary a few days back and he had ordered for pursuing the case but so far nothing concrete has been happened.
The Sahi-led POA has already sent the required documents of the athletes and officials to the organisers. Pakistan are to feature in the athletics, basketball, badminton, karate and wushu.
The event is just six days away and it is extremely doubtful that the government-backed POA will be able to send its contingent.
The uncertainty has also confused the players.
“I am undergoing tough training but I don’t know whether we will be able to go to Indonesia,” a player said.
Meanwhile, a source in the Arif Hasan-led POA said that they were going to send their contingent. “We had sent the entries in time and all the formalities have been fulfilled and I hope that we will be able to send the athletes to Indonesia,” the source said.
But a senior official in the POA said that Arif’s group will not be able to send the contingent to the Islamic Games due to financial problems while Akram Sahi group will not be able to send the contingent because of their recognition problem. And so Pakistan will have to face humiliation by missing the Games.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-10-202294-Pakistan-unlikely-to-feature-in-Islamic-Games
