KARACHI: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) chief Lt General (retd) Arif Hasan said on Saturday that he is hopeful that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would not take any action against Pakistan at this moment in a bid to give a chance to the country to feature in the world’s most prestigious event starting in London next week.
“I have met with several top personalities of the IOC here and I won’t say that there is no risk at all but I am hopeful that the world sports body would not take any action against Pakistan before the Olympics,” Arif told ‘The News’ from London on Saturday just before the start of the IOC Executive Board meeting there.
Following a row between the POA and the government over certain clauses of the 2005 National Sports Policy, it was feared that IOC would take action against Pakistan and would ban the country from featuring in London 2012. But the cloud of uncertainty seems to be disappearing now as Arif Hasan’s statement indicates that he was just exaggerating the issue and there was almost no chance of any such threat.
The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination has also stated in its documents after its joint secretary meeting with the IOC top brass in Lausanne (Switzerland) last month that the IOC and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) have also agreed that it was purely the internal matter of Pakistan and the government and the POA should resolve it amicably.
The IPC has already advised the national sports federations to ensure implementation of the National Sports Policy within two months in letter and spirit. The clause regarding tenure restriction is the real bone of contention between the two parties. According to the National Sports Policy, a single tenure of any member of a sports federation or association will be of four years only. President, honorary secretary and the treasurer will be allowed a maximum of two tenures in any office of the federation or association after which they will become ineligible for holding the same posts of that particular federation or association. However, they will be allowed to contest for next higher post/association at any time. Tenure restrictions will not be applicable on the office-bearers of the federations holding posts of president or secretary of world or Asian federations.
