PSB ExCo may have POA chief back: Pirzada

KARACHI: The federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Riaz Hussain Pirzada on Wednesday said that Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) president might be re-inducted in the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) Executive Committee after some time.

“The POA president is not there in the board’s new executive committee. The decision has been taken keeping several factors in mind and rotation policy is one of them,” the minister told ‘The News’.

When asked if rotation policy could be applied to the POA which was an independent entity, the minister said: “No doubt the POA is a very important body and its top official will be back in the committee some time in future.”

The PSB recently unveiled its new 18-member executive committee which will meet on November 24 at the Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad.

Pirzada, who is the constitutional president of the Board, will head the committee meeting.

The minister said sports had become commercialised so it had been decided to introduce businesspersons to patronise some disciplines which needed funds.

Renowned businessman Arif Habib, Aqeel Karim Dhedhi and the chief executive of Greens Hills Jehangir Riaz have been inducted in the committee.

The minister said that the inclusion of wrestling and weightlifting federations was very important. “In these two disciplines the country has abundance of talent,” he added.

Pirzada said his ministry had never been rigid and always welcomed positive suggestions. “There is still room for improving the constitution of the PSB executive committee and its functioning. In the November 24 meeting we will also discuss how the committee could work better,” Pirzada said.

About the Islamic Games, the minister said that every effort would be made to facilitate those federations which would field their teams. “I have advised the PSB Director General to provide assistance to the participating teams. We will also help the federations in hiring foreign coaches before the Islamic Games. This matter will also be discussed in the executive committee meeting,” Pirzada said.

The fourth Islamic Games will be hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku from May 12-22, 2017.

He said that the ministry would try its best to make the PSB Sports Complex Karachi fully functional. “The other day an official of a federation told me that they would like to use some facility of the PSB Coaching Centre Karachi for preparation. I told him he was welcome. There should be maximum utilisation of the sports facilities,” the minister said.