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POA to discuss Islamic Games preparations early next month

By our correspondents
December 28, 2016

KARACHI: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) plans to hold a meeting next month with those federations that will be sending their teams to Baku for Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Azerbaijan capital from May 12-22.

“We plan to hold a meeting with the federations from January 5 to 15. In the meeting we will discuss various issues regarding preparations and medal chances of Pakistan in the Islamic Games,” POA secretary Khalid Mehmood told ‘The News’ in an interview from Lahore on Tuesday.

“We will also analyse Pakistan’s performances in Asian and African events and then we will be able to reach a conclusion about what Pakistan can achieve in the Islamic Games,” Khalid added.

He said that the POA also plans to hold a meeting with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) regarding the Games by January 5. “For the last 15 days we have been trying to hold a meeting with the PSB but so far we have been unable to do so. Nevertheless, we hope to have the meeting soon,” Khalid said.

The PSB will finance Pakistan’s contingent for the Islamic Games. Pakistan are expected to field their athletes in a dozen of disciplines.

Pakistan has also opted to field a zurkhaneh team as well in the Baku extravaganza. “Zurkhaneh has been added to the list of the disciplines and Pakistan has decided to field its team as we have a medal chance in that discipline,” Khalid said.

However, Khalid was quick to add that Pakistan would send the entry of zurkhaneh through Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF).

“As there is no recognised zurkhaneh federation in Pakistan, we have decided to send its entry through PWF,” the POA official said.

Khalid also disclosed that the POA would hold its executive committee and general body meetings in late January in which various pressing issues would be discussed.

Khalid said that preparatory camps would start by January 1.

He said it was the responsibility of the PSB to provide foreign coaches to the federations which are affiliated with it.

However, he was quick to add that the POA could also back the federations in terms of foreign coaches and training through the Olympic Solidarity. “But the POA could only help the federations if they contacted the National Olympic Committee for the purpose,” he said.

Pakistan won three gold medals and one bronze in the first Islamic Games held in 2005 in Makkah.

Khalid said that Pakistan would also be expecting tennis players to claim medals in Baku.

The second Islamic Games which were scheduled to be held in Tehran in 2010 had been cancelled. In the third edition held at Palembang, Indonesia, in 2013 Pakistan made a token participation because of the conflict between the POA and the government over national sports policy.

About the two parallel Sindh Squash Associations’ issue, Khalid said that the POA had been trying to resolve the matter. “We have been working on the subject and I hope that it will be resolved before the POA’s executive committee meeting,” the official said.

In Sindh two squash associations are working. One is affiliated with the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) and the other is affiliated with the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF).

About the parallel federations, Khalid said such issues would be decided under the law. “In the past too such issues emerged. Even the government backed a parallel POA but later the issue was resolved. We will be taking up this matter under rules and regulations and I hope one day all this mess will end,” Khalid added.

About his candidature for the Pakistan Boxing Federation’s (PBF) presidency, Khalid said if elected he would try to overcome what had been lost during the past eight years.

He also vowed to take all the stakeholders along as PBF chief. “We will conduct everything under rules and regulations,” said Khalid, who is set to be elected as the PBF chief unopposed.  The PBF elections will be held on January 26 in Peshawar.