POA’s crucial meeting on 31st

KARACHI: A handful of crucial matters will be discussed when Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) Executive Committee meet in Lahore on July 31.

Besides Pakistan’s participation matter in the 18th Asian Games 2018, the 3rd Summer Youth Olympics 2018, ANOC World Beach Games 2019, 1st Winter Children of Asia Games 2019 and a handful of national events, the ExCo would also approve the panel of arbitrators.

According to POA’s secretary Khalid Mehmood the NOC legal advisor Ali Reza would recommend a panel, comprising bureaucrats and retired judges whatever he will decide, to the POA’s President in the meeting. The POA chief would then put the list in front of the ExCo for formal approval, he said.

To a query Khalid said that minimum five members would be required for the panel.The arbitration rules have already been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

It is pertinent to mention here that legal sports issues have been damaging the country’s sports over the years. The concerned parties, while bypassing the POA’s arbitration, file their cases in the courts which take a long time that damages the concerned sports.

As Japan-based Olympian Shah Hussain has the guts to prove his mettle at the biggest show of the continent, it is expected that the NOC would decide to confirm his name for the Asiad.

Both Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) and Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) have legal issues with the POA for the last few years. Although cyclists have no chance of any medal in the Asian Games so it is not likely that any rider would be sent to Indonesia. But it is expected that Shah Hussain and Qaiser Khan Afridi would be given the opportunity to feature in the Asian Games for which the boarding and lodging fee has also not yet deposited by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) with the organisers despite the expiry of the July 20 deadline.

The establishment of the National Olympic Academy and marketing department are also important points on the agenda.POA greets Imran Khan: President Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan and the entire Olympic family of Pakistan on Friday congratulated Imran Khan on successfully leading his party in the 2018 general elections.

In a message the POA chief said: “We congratulate Imran’s personally for becoming the Prime Minister when he is needed most to take the country on a path of peace and prosperity. We are very supportive of his vision of youth development, poverty alleviation, equal opportunities for all etc and assure him of our total support. Sports, as he well knows, can act as catalyst for all that he desires to achieve.” The message added: “We assure him of the total support of the sports fraternity and hope that this sector is utilised to help him in the achievement and fulfillment of his vision of a ‘Naya Pakistan’.”