Funds for Asian Games: Pakistan Sports Board's retraction causes dilemma

Federations express ire over withdrawal of sponsorship for participating teams.

KARACHI: Five teams from Pakistan participating at the forthcoming Asian Games are still in a limbo as the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) announced that the respective federations had to bear the expenses for their players’ participation.

The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) led by Lt General (retd) Syed Arif Hassan had earlier sent an approval for a 236-member contingent to the board, but the PSB is now affirming to fund only 141 athletes.

Those who are not being granted endowment include players from baseball, football, gymnastics, rugby and table tennis.

According to Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) President Chaudhry Muhammad Yaqoob, volleyball was also excluded from the funded contingent in the announcement made on Sunday, but the PSB changed its stance on Tuesday and gave them the green light.

“After a discussion with PSB officials, they have agreed to sponsor our squad for the Games while they will officially announce this on Wednesday,” Yaqoob told The Express Tribune. “The draws are in our favour and we have a solid chance to perform well in Korea.”

According to a PSB offical, the baseball, football and rugby federations have been promised NOCs and kits but were told to manage other expenses themselves.

He said that around Rs240,000 would be spent on every athlete featuring in Korea.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Table Tennis Federation President S M Sibtain said that, “The PSB is sponsoring five out of seven members from the squad. Two boys, two girls and a coach are being sponsored, leaving out one boy and one girl.

“We have talked to the PSB to sponsor the entire squad; otherwise it will be an incomplete team.”

Earlier on Monday, PSB director general Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera said that there were several reasons behind this move, including the violation of the National Sports Policy by seven federations which didn’t follow the two-term policy of the government.

However, at present, Pakistan is all set to defend its titles in hockey, squash and women’s cricket while archery, swimming, badminton, boxing, equestrian, judo, kabaddi, karate, rowing, shooting, taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, and wushu.

'Frugal' Asaid may  be low on fans

Organisers are confident a ‘frugal’ and unflashy Asian Games can put South Korea's Incheon on the map despite low ticket sales raising the prospect of swathes of empty seats.

"It will be a more economical and efficient Asiad than before,” said chief organiser Kim Yong-Soo, adding that Incheon was breaking from the tradition of using costly sports events to build national prestige.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2014.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.