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Games organisation a total mess Back To Main

The Nation

ISLAMABAD - The organisers and hosts Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have completely failed to streamline the affairs of the National Games. Players, officials and media persons are finding it really difficult to gather the much required information to perform their official duties.

All the tall claims of the PSB and Interim Committee of organising the games in befitting manner are not more than an eye-washer, as the ground reality is completely different. Majority of the events could not take place on the first day of competitive action, as organisers had not paid the amounts to respective federations for usage of their facilities.

There was no drinking water even for the athletes. There is also no information centre for journalists to gather different events results. As the organisers have chosen far flung venues for different events, it was the needed to establish an information desk, where journalists could be provided with timely results.

The bathrooms were filthy and the organisers were absent and they did not even bother to pick their cell phones. There was nobody to guide the athletes and the guests and schedule of the events was also missing. Many events could not start as facilities supposed to host the events were not paid. The Tennis Organising Committee could not start the tennis matches because they were not paid on time.

Pakistan Squash Federation had demanded Rs 300,000 from organisers for their facilities, but they were promised half the amount, which resulted in no air conditioners for the players, who had to play in high temperature. PSA laws clearly indicate the temperature of the squash courts must be at 18 centigrade. It is the month of June and temperature outside the courts was around 47 and many of the players looked unconscious because of scorching heat.

Interim Committee is just busy in issuing self-praise statements to media instead of focusing on providing facilities to players, officials and journalists. Where did the huge fund of Rs 100 million fund claimed to be spent on the Games gone? Where they have utilized Rs 30 million funds so far, which was allocated for renovation/maintenance work to give a catchy look to the entire complex?

The organisers have failed completely to give even a satisfactory look to the entire show which could have been done if professional persons were to conducting the Games. Interim Committee has hired their blue-eyed persons. A Retired Brigadier is given the task to handle the security and other related issues but he is just busy in threating the journalists for pointing out the security lapses.

Rana Mujahid is the secretary of the organising committee and aspiring to become the secretary of POA in coming elections. He can't handle issues of minor nature, how could it be possible for him to handle such a high profile job? The standard of sports in country is already fast declining and appointments like this would spell nothing but disaster for the country. Sports and sportsmen will suffer if such an incompetent personalities managed to get hold on the POA.