Sports commission discusses National Games points system

KARACHI: Important matters including the points system of the National Games were discussed at the Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) sports commission meeting held at the Olympic House in Lahore on Tuesday.

This correspondent learnt through sources that Army and WAPDA had some reservations over the existing points system for the National Games.

The sources said that the matter would be discussed further and put before the POA general body on Wednesday (today).

The sources said that the commission had reached a conclusion about the points system.

The meeting was chaired by Syed Aqil Shah, the president of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association.

The sources said that the disciplines and strength of the athletes for the National Games were also discussed.

National Games are slated to be held in Quetta from November 5-12.

At the POA general body meeting which will begin at 10:30am on Wednesday the issue of National Beach Games will also be discussed.

The National Beach Games are expected to be conducted by Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) in the next couple of months at Karachi.

This is the first time that the competitions are being held in the country.

The sources said that the POA would also put before the general body the status of Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) and Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF).

These federations were told at the meeting of the federations’ secretaries a few days ago that they should withdraw their cases against the POA arbitration and hold their elections within 60 days.

They were told that their disciplines would be included in the National Games only if they acted upon the advice of the POA.

The two federations and Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) had been re-inducted into the Olympic fold on the advice of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October 2015. And both had taken part in the POA elections held on January 23, 2016.

The sources also revealed that FATA athletes were not invited because the POA did not endorse its so-called elections held on January 14.

The sources in FATA said if the POA stuck to its plan to repeat FATA Olympic Association elections they would come out to protest.