Pak table tennis players stopped at Lahore airport

KARACHI: A six-member Pakistan table tennis side was stopped at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, from going abroad on Thursday morning.

“Pakistan table tennis men and women teams were duly entered by the bona fide Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) to participate in World Table Tennis Championships scheduled to start at Halmstad, Sweden, from April 29, 2018. It is informed with grave concern that both men and women teams . . . were not allowed to board the flight by the immigration officials although boarding passes and luggage tags were duly issued on unwarranted government intervention by Minister for IPC, Government of Pakistan and Interior Division, Government of Pakistan,” PTTF said on Thursday.

It added that that Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), which is supposed to promote sports in Pakistan, is promoting illegitimate parallel associations under the influence of the minister despite assurances given by IPC Ministry to the IOC to recognise only those federations that are members of POA and their respective international federations.

The PTTF has informed the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) about the issue. It said all efforts were being made to ensure Pakistan’s participation in the event.The Executive committee of PTTF headed by S M Sibtain was elected in January 2018.

“The executive body has been duly recognised by our National Olympic committee [POA], the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU), the ITTF as well as the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation (CTTF). As such, this is the only ‘affiliated ITTF member Association’ from Pakistan. However, those who lost the elections have formed a parallel body and it is being supported by the Pakistan Sports Board,” the PTTF said.

“The PSB was repeatedly requested to provide funds for participation in the subject event; no reply was received in this regard,” it said. The PTTF pooled personal financial resources to ensure that the Pakistan team participates in the event.

The PTTF said Pakistan’s non-participation would prevent it from qualifying for the next World Table Tennis Championships. The PTTF deplored the role played by the Ministry of IPC.

Reacting strongly, POA wrote a letter to the PSB DG Amir Ali Ahmed. “We understand that due to the governmental interference, Pakistan team entered by the legitimate PTTF has been offloaded on the behest of an illegal body being supported by the PSB in violation of the directions of Government of Pakistan that only those National Federations shall be recognised by PSB which are affiliated or recognised by their respective International Federations (IFs).”

“In this regard your kind attention is invited towards the Government of Pakistan letter to IOC dated 03 July, 2014 attached at Annex-B. The para 2 iv of the letter is reproduced for ease of reference: ‘2(iv) We agree with the point that only Sports Federations recognised by their respective IFs are to be considered genuine Federations. Instructions have been accordingly communicated to PSB. However, all National Federations have to seek affiliation with PSB as per prescribed criteria.’

“The affairs of PTTF in entirety stand in contradiction to above clause as the Pakistan Sports Board is illegally recognising a sham body created by the losing candidates of the elections held on 07 January, 2018.

“The POA reiterates its position that PTTF headed by SM Sibtain is the only legitimate federation which was and is still affiliated with Pakistan Olympic Association and is recognised by ITTF,” the POA said.

“This incident of offloading athletes is not only illegal but violates the fundamental rights of citizens as well as the rights of athletes protected by the Olympic Charter. This is an unprecedented incident that has caused embarrassment for Pakistan in the international fraternity of sports. If this case is formally lodged with IOC Athletes Commission or at other relevant forums, it shall damage the national image,” the POA said. “Had the directions of Ministry of IPC issued in concurrence with Lausanne Agreement been complied with, we would not have to witness this untoward incident. . . . PSB letter dated 09-04-2018 attached in Annex-A does violate its own directions,” it added.

“Recently a table tennis team was supported by PSB to participate in South Asian Junior Cadet and Hopes Table Tennis Championships 2018 at Maldives, a violation of Lausanne Agreement with GoP, IOC, OCA, ASOIF and POA,” the POA said.

“You are requested to please withdraw any and all support extended to the sham faction” as it does not only infringe on the autonomy of PTTF but also goes against the stated position of Pakistan government as per the communiqué attached at Annex-B, the POA letter said.