Just as cordial relations between Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) are important for sports development, there should be a strong bond between provincial governments and the relevant provincial Olympic Associations.
In Pakistan’s sports structure the Olympic Associations organise various important sports events like National Games and provincial spectacles through the assistance of their respective provincial governments.
But in Sindh we don’t see such a bond between the provincial government and the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) which has been hurting sports development in the province for the last few years.
In the wake of the tussle between the POA and the PSB four years ago, in every province a parallel provincial Olympic association was constituted. Although the mess has now been cleared, in Sindh the government does not seem interested in restoring its relations with the SOA which is recognised by the POA.
Last year SOA wanted to organise the first edition of the National Beach Games. The provincial government approved Rs20 million for the purpose but the event could not be held because of the reluctance of the Sindh government. The POA had allotted the event to SOA at the most appropriate time as its basic purpose was to make preparation for the Asian Beach Games which were held last year in Vietnam.
The POA was of the opinion if the national beach edition was held successfully it would be able to stage in Karachi a South Asian beach event. It was, no doubt, an ambitious plan but fell prey to the biased attitude of the Sindh government.
The POA president Lt Gen (retd) Arif Hasan hinted in his press conference recently in Karachi at the negligence of the Sindh government that created problems in the way of holding the Beach Games which were postponed several times because of the government’s apathy towards the SOA.
Now the Sindh government has announced that it will stage the 17th Sindh Games in Karachi in the middle of May without the involvement of the SOA.
It’s really a serious issue. The Sindh government sports officials neither accepted nor denied the entity of the SOA. They said that in 2012 two SOAs were working and although the matter of parallel bodies has now been settled, in order to avoid any controversy the SOA was not being given a role in the organisation of the mega provincial spectacle.
No reaction has yet been shown by the SOA, but the association is not happy with the development.
It would not be easy for the Sindh government to stage Sindh Games without the SOA, which has skilled manpower for such competitions.
As per rotation policy it was the turn of Larkana to host Sindh Games but the provincial government has decided otherwise, which is a blunder. This will disrupt the whole system created by the SOA. After four years -- the 16th Sindh Games were held in Hyderabad in 2012 -- the Pakistan People’s Party government woke up from a deep slumber and said that it was going to stage the event without the active involvement of the SOA.
First, it should tell the people why it did not hold the event during the last four years. And now that it has decided to go for it why is it sidelining those who have been serving sports for decades? Sports activities in Sindh have been negligible since the demise of former sports minister and chief of the SOA Dr Mohammad Ali Shah.
He was a very active sports minister. He conducted five Sindh Games in five years. He made it an annual feature. But his successors failed to carry on the tradition set by him.
Sindh Sports Minister Sardar Mohammad Khan Bux Mahar should hold a meeting with the POA-recognised SOA before finalising dates for the 17th Sindh Games. By involving SOA, Mahar would be able to conduct the spectacle in the most befitting way.
It was felt at the press conference of Mahar that no proper preparation had been made for the Sindh Games. Everything seemed tentative. If the beginning is so haphazard, what would be the end like?
The restoration of relations between the SOA and Sindh government is important also because Sindh may have to host National Games if Balochistan failed to organise the spectacle later this year.
If Balochistan succeeded in hosting it this year then it would be the turn of Sindh as per rotation policy. And Karachi, particularly, should be well-equipped for the purpose.