ASIAN GAMES: Delay in training camps hinders preparations of Pak contingent

ISLAMABAD: Unnecessary delay in the start of camps may haunt preparations of over 300-member expected Pakistan contingent that would figure in 30 sports disciplines of the 18th Asian Games set to start in Jakarta-Palembang (Indonesia) from August 18-September 2.

With the start of Games less than three months away, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has made no concrete efforts to give go-ahead to the respective federations to officially start the training camps.

In fact the chops and changes in the PSB that has been rampant in recent times have left no time for the officials to pay heed to this serious matter.

The long-awaited meeting of the PSB-federation secretaries has yet to get materialise as a result no decision has so far been made as when and where these camps would get under way.

Though a good number of athletes are getting training with the help of their respective federations, the PSB officials, it seems, are more interested in appeasing their new bosses rather than taking up core issues confronting Pakistan sports.

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) secretary Mohammad Khalid Mehmood has also written a letter to newly-appointed Director General PSB Arif Ibrahim stressing the need of early meeting between the federation secretaries and the PSB officials to sort out pending matters.

When a leading federation official was contacted he said that unnecessary delay in start of the training camps in no way is helping team preparations.

“Look you need a long duration camps and require finances for that. The PSB should realise the urgency of matter and come forward for the support of federations and their athletes. We are to compete against the best in Asia and for that we need to make good preparations. Though we are helping out athletes through our meagre resources, we are waiting for the PSB’s decision to officially start the camp.”

The federation official added that full-fledged camps under artificial lights at night time would have been ideal.

“Instead of wasting time, the start of official camps during Ramazan would have provided ideal opportunity for the athletes to prepare in a much better way.”

When ‘The News’ approached Azam Dar, PSB acting Deputy DG (Technical), he said recent changes in the PSB have delayed decision in this regard.

“You know well that we have a new DG in the office. He needs some time to get a better view of the system. Once things settle down we would convene a PSB-federation officials meeting to decide on camps plight.”

Azam admitted that due to uncertainty, precious time has been lost. “But things would be normal shortly. I ensure you that federation-PSB meeting would be held during the coming week to figure out all these pending issues.”