RISJA MEET THE PRESS: Uncertainty prevails in Pakistan sports, says PBSA

ISLAMABAD: Months of uncertainty has dragged Pakistan sports to the brink with no apparent cure insight, claimed Alamgir Sheikh, the co-chairman of Pakistan Billiard and Snooker Association (PBSA), at a Rawalpindi-Islamabad Sports Journalists Association (RISJA) Meet the Press programme here at the Pakistan Sports Complex Media Center on Wednesday.

Accompanied by PBSA President Munawwar Hussain Sheikh, Alamgir said his federation had reached a stage where it was not sure of participation in any future international events because of lack of funds and no support from the government.

“Snooker is the one game that has earned more international medals for the country than any other sport. We have not received a single penny from the government for the last eight months. Despite that we have been successfully holding the national events and sending our teams and players to international events. What financial sources we have had during this period we have spent that.”

Alamgir feared that the participations in the Asian Championship and Asian Six Red and Junior Internationals would not be easy. “If the uncertain situation persists, I fear we would not be in a position to take part in the forthcoming international tournaments to be held in the first half of the year.”

He said that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had attained a status of paper lion. “The PSB has become useless, extending no support to the federations in any way.”

He said he had high hopes from Prime Minister Imran Khan who took over the reins in July. “The standard of sports has gone from bad to worse during this period and we have no hopes of any apparent recovery in coming days.”

The PBSA chairman also had no hopes from the Task Force on Sports as he complained there was no clue as what it had done so far. “We never knew who the members of the force were? What was its mandate? Why it preferred not to consult any federations, its officials. We are representing the game which has won more international medals than any other sport in Pakistan. Yet we were not taken into confidence while finalising recommendations for the uplift of games in the country.” Alamgir said against all these odds, the PBSA planned to hold Snooker Super League where the best players from the world would be invited.

“We have planned to hold the league in May this year provided we get the required support from the government. I as member of the international executive committee can invite the best international players for the league.

“But here we have to do everything on our own. Recently we were allowed by the PSB to hire foreign coach. When it came to paying coach his salary, we have to pay him almost Rs one million from our own pocket.”

Earlier, RISJA President Afzal Javed welcomed guests and briefed them association’s activities and future plans.