World University Games 2025: HEC starts probe into irregularities, disappearance of two players

After the Pakistan Sports Board, the Higher Education Commission Pakistan has also started an investigation into serious shortcomings and irregularities in the participation of the Pakistani contingent in the World University Games 2025 in Germany and the disappearance of two players.

In this regard, the HEC on Thursday formed its own three-member inquiry committee consisting of three retired persons. The convener of the committee is the former director sports, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Muhammad Shafiq, while the members will be former Director Bahauddin Zakaria University Multan Mohiuddin and HEC Consultant P&D Division Muhammad Shahid.

This committee will investigate the participation of the Pakistan University Sports Federation (PUSF) delegation in the World University Games (WUG) 2025 in Germany and the following incidents that occurred during these events. According to a notification by HEC Assistant Director HRM Malik Haider Nawaz, the committee will examine the case of two student athletes of the University of Central Punjab going missing/absent/escaping without permission from the authorities. It will examine the case of disqualification of the women’s 4x100m athletics relay team while a judo athlete also competed without a coach and without proper uniform.

The committee will see that all the team officials, except one swimming coach, were allegedly directors of different universities/HEC. It will investigate the selection of sports events for participation in the World University Games.

The committee will also investigate the selection of officials and their qualifications. It will also review the circumstances in which two student athletes escaped from the squad and determine responsibility for the incident. It will review the circumstances in which the women’s 4x100m athletics relay team was disqualified and determine responsibility for the incident. It will also examine why a judo athlete competed without a coach and even without the proper uniform. It will submit its report within a month.