PSB to hold meeting to discuss major events

KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has planned to convene a meeting of national federations in order to discuss with them various matters regarding the forthcoming international events in which the country will feature.

“We plan to invite federations very soon to discuss with them various matters relating to future assignments including the Commonwealth Games, Islamic Games and Asian Games,” the PSB Director General Col (retd) Mohammad Asif Zaman told ‘The News’ on Monday.

Some officials of federations on Sunday told this correspondent that it would be of immense importance if the PSB convenes a meeting of all those federations whose athletes will participate in these back-to-back events.

In reply to the question of timing of the meeting, the PSB DG said that it would be called in a week time. “I believe that there should be a meeting so that we could discuss various matters, including medals chances and other related things,” said Asif, who himself is a former squash player.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to August 8. It will be followed by the Islamic Games to be held in Konya, Turkey, from August 9-18. Asian Games are pencilled in for September 10-25 in Hangzhou, China.

However, Col Asif made it clear that only those federations will be called for the meeting whose athletes will feature in these Games. “We pledge to back those athletes who have medal chances in these events,” he was quick to add.

Some federations during discussion with this correspondent said they need foreign coaches and training camps as early as possible. On this issue, Asif said that he is telling everyone to come and discuss whatever they need. “We are ready to provide foreign coaches to federations. We are looking after taekwondo foreign coach and are hiring coaches for some other disciplines. The budget is there for equipment, training and coaches for international assignments,” Asif said.

“We have also held camps for some disciplines. Today premier wrestler Mohammad Inam met me and I told him that the Board will hold wrestling camp once NCOC lifts ban from full body contact sports. So we are helping those who deserve to be backed,” Asif said.

Asif also said that the government plans to boost sports infrastructure in the country. “We are laying eight hockey astro-turfs. One has been inaugurated in Islamabad already. The other is ready in Quetta and next month it will be inaugurated. Others are being laid at Wah, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad and Skardu.”

Asif said that the state also plans to establish top-level sports facilities in Skardu which could be utilised in hot weather. “I also want state-of-the-art facilities in Abbottabad which could also be used in hot weather,” Asif said.

When informed that India has already announced its chef de mission and General Manager for its contingent which will take part in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Asif said both PSB and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) should finalise contingent officials after mutual consultation.

India has announced Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) senior vice-president Rakesh Anand as its contingent chef de mission while IOA chief Narinder Batra will act as General Manager of its contingent during the Commonwealth Games.

India is preparing well for the Commonwealth Games and some of its athletes are also undergoing training on foreign soil. In the last Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018, Pakistan claimed one gold and four bronze. In the last Asian Games hosted by Indonesia in 2018, Pakistan clinched four bronze medals. In the previous Islamic Games in Baku in 2017, Pakistan snared three silver and nine bronze medals.