PSB DG wants top players to focus on training, promises ‘full support’

KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Col (retd) Asif Zaman has asked all the medal prospects of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games to solely focus on their training, promising that the Board would fully back them.

“I advise all those athletes of Pakistan who have the ability to win medals in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games to focus on their training and don’t waste time. I promise them that the Board will back them,” Asif told ‘The News’ from Islamabad on Saturday in a detailed informal talk.

“Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem should not waste time. We have organised a camp for him in Lahore. It will not work going to Karachi and other areas and wasting time. I think athletes should not indulge themselves in such activities which could shift their focus from their actual targets,” stressed Asif.

Asif seemed to be hinting at Arshad’s recent visit to Karachi where he attended the Commonwealth Games Queen Baton’s relay activities.

But now Arshad is in the camp at Lahore along with Yasir, another talented javelin thrower of the country. They are expected to fly for South Africa in near future for a lengthy training camp under a South African coach.

The DG offered his services to all top players who are set to feature in this year’s major international events. “If they have any issue in training they can directly call me. I will try my best to resolve their issues,” Asif said.

“I have been myself a player and I know the requirements of the athletes,” he reiterated.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to August 8. China will host the Asian Games in Guangzhou from September 10-25.

“We will discourage joy-rides and only those will be sent for these Games who have medal chances keeping in view their records in these events,” he said.

He also urged the provinces to also help the country’s top athletes in their preparation for the international events. “I think provinces have huge budgets and they can back our top athletes. Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) job is to manage accreditation while the PSB, federations and provinces should make a coordinated effort to facilitate these athletes in their training,” Asif said.

He also made an open offer to federations, telling them that they can hire foreign coaches through the assistance of the Board.

“Yes, we are ready to back federations in hiring foreign coaches. We are going to back Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) in hiring a Serbian coach. Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) has not yet approached us for a foreign coach. If it does we will back it. Every federation can discuss this matter with me. We will try to manage things as per their requirement,” he said.

Asif said that renovation work at the Pakistan Sports Complex is in progress. He added that effort is being made to complete it quickly so that a centralised camp could be held there for this year’s international events.

He said that the Board plans to enhance its equipment in order to meet the pressing demands.