PSB ExCo to discuss vital issues on May 7

KARACHI: The Executive Committee meeting of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), which was scheduled to be held on May 5 in Islamabad, has been postponed for two days.
According to sources in the Board, the meeting will now be held on May 7 at the Committee Room of the Liaquat Gymnasium, Islamabad at 10am.
Sources said the meeting had to be postponed because of the commitment of the federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Riaz Hussain Pirzada, who is also the president of the Board and would chair the meeting.
Sources said that Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif will be in Bahawalpur on May 5. Bahawalpur is the hometown of Pirzada which was the main reason behind the postponement of the meeting.
This is the second time that the meeting had to be postponed. Earlier, it was scheduled to be held at the end of April but was delayed because the secretary IPC Chaudhry Ijaz was in England.
Sources added that besides other agenda items, the recommendations of the sub-committee formed in the previous meeting for rationalising the cash awards policy would come under discussion.
“The four-member committee led by hockey Olympian Samiullah has already submitted its report to the Board which carries recommendations about the cash awards for the players for their performance in international circuit. For example, the cash award policy of the government did not cover the achievements of Pakistani players in international circuit in Beach Games and Youth Games. But the sub-committee has recommended to the Board that since these are also important assignments and the medal-winners of these events should also be encouraged,” the sources said.
The recommendations also carry the point regarding an increase in cash awards for the medal-winners in major international events.
It is also expected that the matter of re-affiliation of Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) will also come under discussion. Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob-led PVF has already accepted the national sports policy and has made necessary amendments in its constitution, making it acceptable for the Board.
According to the amendments, Yaqoob, who was previously working as PVF president, will now serve as its chairman. Islamabad’s former Inspector General of Police Iftikhar Ahmad, who was formerly working as PVF vice-president, will now act as PVF president. Shahid Kamal is acting as secretary.
“Yes, we have sent a copy of our amended constitution to the Board and we expect it to consider our case. We don’t want any further clash with the government as we have already faced a hard time during the last four years,” a source in the PVF told this correspondent.
The Yaqoob-led PVF will also hold its election on May 16 at Lahore during the National Volleyball Championship to be held from May 11-17.
But sources in the Board said that it would not be easy for the Board to make any decision about the PVF’s affiliation matter.
“Yaqoob-led PVF’s rival federation led by Zafar Abbas Lak has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the speaking order of the PSB. The plea of the Lak Group before the court is that they had held election for an interim period in the presence of the observer of the PSB and under the national sports policy then why PVF Yaqoob Group is being recognised,” a source said.
A few days ago, Riaz Pirzada had told this correspondent that the election of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) would also be discussed in the meeting.
Pirzada said that he had told the Board to monitor the situation closely.
He added that the government did not want to interfere in the PFF’s affairs and would be neutral as it could not afford any controversy which could get Pakistan a ban from FIFA. However, he was quick to add that fair elections must be ensured.