PSB chief promises maximum support for CWG contingent

LAHORE: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Col (retd) Asif Zaman on Tuesday said that they would provide maximum support for Pakistan’s contingent for the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8.

“We have received the final list from the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and we will try to back as many athletes as we can. We will also discuss this in the PSB Board meeting on June 13 before deciding how much of the strength the Board can back,” Asif told ‘The News’ here on the sideline of the FIFA World Cup Trophy unveiling ceremony at a local hotel.

“I have already told the federations to field their cream in the Birmingham event and they must do it. Some federations want to field their players only for gaining experience,” Asif said.

He said that the matters related to the South Asian Games will also be discussed in the Board meeting.

“Definitely we will discuss this important matter also. We are yet to finalise the time-frame of the event. We will deliberate on this matter,” said Asif, also a former Asian junior squash champion.

Pakistan is to host the 14th South Asian Games next year.

The current government’s input regarding the time-frame will be immensely important. The South Asian Olympic Council will meet at the end of this month to discuss the biennial spectacle.

The participating nations are not aware of the venues as yet.

Asif said that the Board is providing every kind of facility to the players training for the Commonwealth Games and Islamic Games. “We are giving every kind of facilities to the athletes and now it is up to them to work hard and earn medals for Pakistan in both the Commonwealth Games and Islamic Games,” Asif said.

The Islamic Games are slated to be hosted by Turkey in Konya from August 9-18.

“We have boosted the diet of the players during camps. We have hired the services of foreign coaches for some federations and wrestling also should have hired a foreign coach which could have helped them prepare their grapplers in the best possible way,” Asif said.

He said that Pakistan’s football matter would be resolved this month. “I have talked to Normalisation Committee chairman Haroon Malik and hopefully this month the issues will be resolved and FIFA suspension will be lifted,” Asif said.

FIFA suspended Pakistan in the first week of April last year, days after the Ashfaq group occupied the PFF headquarters in Lahore.

The accounts issue is in the court and sources close to the process told this correspondent that the matter would be resolved soon.

About FIFA World Cup Trophy arrival in Pakistan, Asif said that it’s a big moment for the country hosting such a big trophy.

“Coca Cola has done a great job to bring in the trophy. I hope Pakistan will soon returning to the international circuit in football,” he said.