The Olympic blame game continues – Journal

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THE government calling for the resignation of retired Pakistani Olympic chief Lt. Gen. Arif Hasan is a continuation of the blame game that has ensued since the start of the Tokyo Games, an attempt not to be held responsible for another poor performance at the world’s biggest athletic extravaganza.

The request came after Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting to discuss the performance of the Olympic Games with Minister of Interprovincial Coordination, Dr Fehmida Mirza, retired Director General of the Pakistan Sports Council, Colonel Asif Zaman, retired Pakistan Athletics Federation President, Major General Akram Sahi, Pakistan. Hockey Federation Secretary General Asif Bajwa and former Pakistan Football Federation Secretary General Mujahidullah Tareen.

Only the president of AFP represented a discipline in which Pakistan participated in the Tokyo Games. There was no one from the weightlifting, shooting, badminton, judo or swimming federations. There was not even representation from the Pakistan Olympic Association to clarify its position.

The government movement will certainly attract the wrath of the International Olympic Committee, which does not allow political or governmental interference in the affairs of its National Olympic Committees. It was not until 2014 that Pakistan escaped an IOC suspension following the government’s decision to recognize the Arif-led POA.

A General Council composed of 106 members elects the president of the POA. The only way to force the impeachment of the president is to pass a motion of no confidence in the council. At present this seems highly unlikely and a forced government ouster would lead to a similar situation which has seen world football body FIFA suspend Pakistan, following the takeover of the PFF headquarters from the appointed Standards Committee. by FIFA by a body that has been elected by the Supreme Court.

Going through the constitutions of the PSB and the POA, it is clear that it is the job of the trainers to give training facilities to the athletes while providing them with the right infrastructure. It is then up to the national federations to prepare the athletes for international events. POA claims to have a limited role, although article V, point 12 of its constitution defines its role as to organize and encourage the systematic training of sportsmen, coaches and sports administrators in Pakistan and to assist them in training. abroad. He claims to have obtained IOC scholarships for three shooters, badminton player Mahoor Shahzad and weightlifter Talha Talib before the Games. Talha, who narrowly missed out on a medal when he finished fifth, earned a total of $ 21,000 in 28 months on the monthly allowance of $ 750.

The lack of sponsorship for sports organizations outside of cricket means that federations have little or no funding for athlete training. They claim that there is no comprehensive system for obtaining annual grants from the PSB, which argues that federations must comply with PSB requirements to obtain funding. Sports federations in Pakistan also do not make their audited financial statements public.

Ahead of the Olympics, the PSB returned unused funds to the finance ministry in the amount of Rs 440 million, which the POA said could have been used to prepare athletes for Tokyo. The annual budget of the PSB is Rs 980 million, of which approximately Rs 500 million is spent on staff salaries and other expenses.

If performance at international events is to be the barometer for calling for the resignation of the head of a sports body, it would be more appropriate for the Prime Minister to act accordingly and replace those who run the Pakistan Cricket Board and the PHF. The Pakistan cricket team recently lost a series to England’s third team while the Tokyo Olympics marked the second consecutive Games the hockey team failed to qualify. The Prime Minister is the chief boss of the PCB and the PHF and his inaction is revealing.

The failure of the IPC Ministry to release funds to the PHF to participate in the FIH World Hockey League has been a factor contributing to the country’s continued decline in the game, with the national team now ranked 18th. The PSB has also not organized an inter-provincial Under-14 championships in recent years, which has made it possible to identify the best talent and prepare them.

It is important to understand that unless the PSB, POA and sports federations work together, in their respective roles, Pakistan’s sports fortunes would not be revived. The endless blame game, however, will only exacerbate Pakistan’s quest for a first Olympic medal since 1992.

Posted in Dawn, le 16 August 2021

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