Call for sports stakeholders conference

KARACHI: Stakeholders of various disciplines have appealed to PM Imran Khan to resolve the issues faced by sportspeople because of promulgation of 18th amendment and which have been multiplied by the outbreak of COVID-19.

Ali Akbar Shah, former joint secretary of Pakistan Boxing Federation, said that all attention is being given to cricket. He said that time has come to take revolutionary steps, otherwise other sports would be destroyed.

Shah said that there is no lack of resources, infrastructure or talent. It is time the federal government called a meeting of all leading sportsmen, sports departments, sports experts, coaches and trainers of various disciplines, and all other stakeholders to discuss at length how “we can come out of this ruined condition”.

He was of the view that no one can alone resolve the complicated issues of Pakistan sports. There is need for consensus of all stakeholders of sports and a uniform policy. Pakistan’s former athlete and founder of Athletic School Muhammad Talib said that PM Imran Khan should call old guards and stakeholders of the sports to establish a comprehensive policy to resolve the issues of sports.

Talib said that those who have nothing to do with sports were made champion of sports and organised third class events, wasting public money, while sports federations and associations did nothing.