Management fiasco ahead of Jakarta Asian Games

Alterations to Pakistani contingent for games still ongoing

LAHORE: The opening ceremony of the Jakarta Asian Games is just three weeks away and athletes from various countries are all set to compete.

However, alterations to the Pakistani contingent for the games are still ongoing. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has cut 140 out of 300 personnel from the contingent, following which Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) called an urgent meeting of all participating federations at the Olympic House in Lahore.

In a previous meeting, PSB officials confirmed sponsoring 300 athletes and staff after both parties had agreed on a contingent strength of 397 personnel.

However, according to the recent meeting the PSB has said it will not be sponsoring football, gymnastics, table tennis and non-affiliated sports. Therefore only personnel whose accreditation is completed in time will be able to participate.

According to PSB, Federal Minster for Inter-Provincial Coordination has decided to sponsor a maximum 140 members of the Pakistan contingent for participation in the Games.

Expressing his anger over the cuts, Pakistan Badminton Federation Secretary Wajid Ali said: “It is an alarming situation for all the federations. If players will not get the chance to compete on this platform, how can they become medalists? The government should ban all sports in country.”

Moreover, the PSB has not paid for the accommodation of the athletes despite the deadline fast approaching.

“It’s not a big issue, we are in negotiations with the POA on this matter, we will deposit this amount  after getting a final contingent list from them in the coming days,” said a PSB official.

Last minute withdrawals from the games incur heavy fines and could lead to a ban on participation in the future. “We have to follows all rules and regulations of games if we want to continue participating,” said a POA official.

The Asian Games is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The event is recognised by the International Olympic Committee and will be taking place from August 18 to September 2. Currently Pakistan athletes are featuring in 36 sports.