Queen’s Baton Relay team arrives amid chaos
Parallel Olympic bodies confused over hosting privileges.
The route of the Queen's Baton Relay around the globe. PHOTO: thecgf.com
KARACHI:
The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) team will arrive today in Lahore amidst concerns as to who will host it after it emerged that the two parallel sport bodies claimed that they had the rights of hosting the visitors.
Lt Gen (Retd) Arif Hasan led Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) was expecting to host the team but the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) senior officials have written to the Punjab government and reminded them that the body led by the retired General is not recognised by the government.
The team is expected to arrive at 8:45 pm where they will be received by the organising committee. The baton relay will start a day later.
Baton runners and organisers will arrive at the Minar-e-Pakistan early tomorrow morning, where the QBR team will join them along with the baton.
The official ceremony will start in the afternoon session in a local hotel where the guests and Commonwealth Games delegation will witness the opening ceremony.
Hasan was keen to host the event at the Punjab Governor’s house but he was told that the governor cannot be the chief guest in the ceremony because the government does not recognise his body as the Akram Sahi led POA is the official Olympic body for the Pakistan government.
“Hasan tried to host the event at the governor house but he failed,” an official told The Express Tribune. “Initially he was allowed to host the reception at the governor house but when the officials learned that Hasan’s body is not recognised by the government they refused to permit him.”
It has been learnt that the government backed POA is not keen to make fuss about the issue as they feel that the QBR team should be kept away from the controversy.
When Sahi was contacted about the issue, he stated: “We’ll respect the decision of the government as at the end of the day, they are the supreme body.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2013.
The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) team will arrive today in Lahore amidst concerns as to who will host it after it emerged that the two parallel sport bodies claimed that they had the rights of hosting the visitors.
Lt Gen (Retd) Arif Hasan led Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) was expecting to host the team but the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) senior officials have written to the Punjab government and reminded them that the body led by the retired General is not recognised by the government.
The team is expected to arrive at 8:45 pm where they will be received by the organising committee. The baton relay will start a day later.
Baton runners and organisers will arrive at the Minar-e-Pakistan early tomorrow morning, where the QBR team will join them along with the baton.
The official ceremony will start in the afternoon session in a local hotel where the guests and Commonwealth Games delegation will witness the opening ceremony.
Hasan was keen to host the event at the Punjab Governor’s house but he was told that the governor cannot be the chief guest in the ceremony because the government does not recognise his body as the Akram Sahi led POA is the official Olympic body for the Pakistan government.
“Hasan tried to host the event at the governor house but he failed,” an official told The Express Tribune. “Initially he was allowed to host the reception at the governor house but when the officials learned that Hasan’s body is not recognised by the government they refused to permit him.”
It has been learnt that the government backed POA is not keen to make fuss about the issue as they feel that the QBR team should be kept away from the controversy.
When Sahi was contacted about the issue, he stated: “We’ll respect the decision of the government as at the end of the day, they are the supreme body.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2013.