Pakistan`s CWG participation in limbo

Karachi: Pakistan could miss out on competing in next year`s Commonwealth Games as it has failed to send entries due to an ongoing tussle between the International Olympic Committee-recognised Pakistan Olympic Association and the state-controlled Pakistan Sports Board.

The PSB does not recognise the POA led by Arif Hasan and recently encouraged and supported the elections of a parallel Pakistan Olympic Association body and also released Rs 80 million for the organisation of National Games in Islamabad. The PSB and its supported organisation, led by Akram Sahi, are not recognised by the IOC. In all this the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is now paying the price for siding with the parallel POA as the invitation by the CWG organisers to send a contingent including the hockey team for the games has been sent to the Hasan-led POA. "We don`t want to see Pakistan hockey team not playing in the Commonwealth games which is a major event. We have forwarded the invitation to the PHF and sent them reminders to confirm their participation with a Letter of Intent to be sent to the organisers of the CWG. But they have not responded as yet and the deadline already extended by the CWG for us expires on Monday," Hasan told PTI. "It would be sad if our hockey team can`t play in the CWG but people out to hurt Pakistan sports must remember they can ride roughshod over us in Pakistan but internationally they have no recognition or standing," he said. PHF secretary Asif Bajwa said that he had written letters to the PSB and the POA led by Sahi to resolve the issue with the CWG organisers. PTI