SOA hosts reception in honour of POA chief

KARACHI: Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) on Saturday hosted a reception in honour of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Lt-Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan on being elected as member Sports Committee Commonwealth Games Federation for Asia.

Arif recently became the first Pakistani who got elected as member of the elite committee. Arif Hasan, who is also the vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), thanked SOA for extending the reception. “I am thankful to all of you for extending me such an honour,” Arif said in his speech. He lauded the efforts of Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shalwani for making splendid efforts for promoting sports in the city. “It would be a great contribution to sports if in few schools sports activities and physical education are started and these are linked with the community then I think it will be very good,” Arif requested Commissioner Karachi. Arif reiterated commitment that he would continue to do for sports development in Pakistan whatever he could do.

Meanwhile Iftikhar Shalwani also thanked Arif Hasan for giving Karachi with an opportunity to host him after being elected as member of the sports committee of the Commonwealth Games Federation for Asia.

“It’s a big honour for Karachi and Sindh that you are here,” Iftikhar said.

“Karachi has a big talent but for hunting it you will have to make an effort. And for that we all are responsible. If a talent is there and if you are unable to hunt that on correct time then the mistake is not of that talent but of the people like us who are on responsible positions,” Iftikhar said.

Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui and Ghulam Mohammad Khan also appreciated General Arif’s efforts for sports development in Pakistan.

At the end of the ceremony, Iftikhar Shalwani presented memento to Arif Hasan on behalf of SOA.