PSB committee summons official on athletes issue

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has constituted a three-member committee to look into gross negligence that robbed two leading Pakistan athletes of chance to compete in the 11th Asian Indoor Athletics Championship.

The News has learnt that the committee will be headed by Shahidul Islam (DDG). The committee has been authorised to look into the mismanagement committed by the AFP.

“A three-member committee has been constituted by the competent authority of Pakistan Sports Board vide office order on 22 February, 2024 to inquire the matter regarding failure in participation of

two Pakistani athletes in the 11th Asian Indoor Athletics Championship,” the notification issued by the concerned PSB official says. It has been learnt that the committee has summoned Lt Col Shahjehan Mir (Retd), manager of the touring party, who is also secretary AFP, to appear before it on Friday (today), to submit a report and point of view on the gross negligence.

“The lapse has caused serious concerns and embarrassment to the country,” the notification says. The PSB has maintained that in case of non-appearance / non-cooperation, the committee may finalise its report ex-parte.

Earlier, the PSB wrote a strongly-worded letter to AFP in which the PSB sought a detailed answer on the reports that despite the presence of two athletes at the championship venue they were not allowed to compete in their respective events.

The criteria and general laid down rules clearly say that the management or officials accompanying the team will have to confirm entries of players a day before their respective competitions. In the case of two Pakistan athletes no prior confirmation was done, thus leaving them high and dry when it came to their participation in the event.