Players unhappy with Asiad camp facilities

KARACHI: National players, who are undergoing training at the Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad for Asian Games, are not happy with the facilities at the country’s most equipped training centre.

After talking to a few players of different disciplines this correspondent has learnt that there are no air-conditioners in the rooms of the players.

“There is no air-conditioner in our room. You know there is too hot and mosquitoes bite us in the night. How one can prepare in such a situation?,” a player told ‘The News’ on Saturday.

The players said that they are also unable to properly utilise gym facilities because of the presence of civil people who avail of the facility by giving fee to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

“Hundreds of people, both men and women, come to the gym, which is not too big. And in the presence of such public how athletes, who are undergoing training for national duty, can work on their fitness issues,” a highly experienced player said.

The players demanded that ahead of any international event the gym facilities should be only utilised by the athletes.

The players also are not happy with the diet given by the PSB to them.

“The diet quality is extremely bad. We purchase extra food by spending from our own pocket to keep our fitness. It’s really a bad situation. I wonder how we will be able to prepare solidly for the Asian Games,” a player explained.

The Asian Games are slated to be held in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2.

A senior player also added that one could not become a world champion by using such a food which is served to the players by the PSB. “Players need to be looked after very well. What I see here is an ordinary diet which is not enough to keep a player so fit which could enable him to deliver in international circuit. The PSB should revisit its policy. More fund should be allocated to the nutrition area which is the most important,” the player said.

“The issue here is if we spoke it would create a big problem for us. That is why we are quietly facing such challenges,” a player said.

This correspondent tried to contact a senior official of the PSB but he did not receive the calls.

Most of the national camps for the Asian Games have been set up at the PSB headquarters in the federal capital. As many as a 400-member contingent of Pakistan will be featuring in 36 disciplines in the Asian Games.

Meanwhile a senior official of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) told ‘The News’ on Saturday that the matter of participation of national judokas and cyclists would then be decided after the general elections.

“The POA will hold its executive committee meeting after July 25 and the fate of these players for the Asian Games will be decided,” the official said.

The POA has legal issues with judo and cycling federations and the participation of the players of these discipines in the Asiad is not yet known.

The official said that boardig and lodging charges of Pakistan’s contingent would be deposited by the PSB through State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

The PSB will have to pay fifty dollars per head to the Asian Games organisers as boarding and lodging fee for their contingent. “It will cost the Board around Rs20 million,” the official said.