News > POA

Ad-hoc will not be accepted at any cost: POA boss Back To Main

The News International

KARACHI: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan once again reiterated his commitment that ad-hoc on the National Olympic Committee will not be acceptable at any cost.

“Nothing about ad-hoc on POA has been covered in the minutes of the Executive Board meeting of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) but still if there is anything like this in reality then I will say that it will not be acceptable on any forum,” Arif said in a press conference here at the Karachi Press Club on Monday.

He once again stressed that majority of the members that took part in the Board meeting held on January 8 in Islamabad were illegal.

“Although the Board consists of 82 members, they have shown only 46 in the papers. And here, too, majority of the participants were illegal and only 22 were eligible. If even the representatives of the five disputed federations are also counted still the quorum was incomplete,” said Arif, who was flanked by the representatives of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA).

“By bringing in illegal persons to the meeting PSB has violated its own rules which say that only presidents and secretaries of the national sports federations can represent them,” said Arif.

The POA chief said the world sports governing body (IOC) has invited Pakistan for a meeting in Lausanne next month in order to discuss the prevailing uncertainty and conflict in national sports.

“After having read media reports about the conflict IOC asked us to ensure our availability for a meeting and it was decided that the meeting will be held on February 15 at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne. Whatever will be the output will be seen and I feel that there should also be a representative of the government in that discussion so that the actual picture becomes clear,” Arif said.

He also termed PSB’s stance about the formation of National Sports Tribunal an illegal act and interference in the affairs of the POA.

About the Board’s move to re-organise the 32nd National Games, the POA president said holding of the event was the prerogative of the POA only.

“No body can hold National Games except POA and the Board has also admitted POA’s right of holding the same event even in its rules and sports policy,” he said.

Arif rejected PSB’s stance that a majority of the athletes had not taken part in the National Games in Lahore. “Out of 13 units, only armed forces (Army, Navy, PAF) had not featured in those games in which total participation was 4638,” he stressed.

However, Arif was quick to add if the Board wants to hold any national event by any other name then the POA would support it and would participate in it.

About a letter of the international cycling union (UCI) to the POA regarding the legality of the Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) formed only recently, Arif said POA was in contact with the world body and the cloud of misunderstanding about the cycling federation being led by Khwaja Idrees would be removed.