Islamabad, Dec 5: At its Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) implemented important policy changes in spite of the Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) adamant opposition.
Important rulings included the introduction of a tribunal to handle complaints and disputes and an independent election commission to supervise national sports federations’ polling. The goal of the conference, which was chaired by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah, was to increase openness in the governance of sports.
The Pakistan Code of Ethics and Governance in Sports (PCEGS), a framework intended to guarantee integrity in the administration of sports federations, was introduced with approval from the PSB board. While abiding by both domestic and international regulations, it seeks to address problems like corruption, nepotism, and doping.
In accordance with IOC norms and directions from the Islamabad High Court, the independent election commission would supervise free and fair elections for sports federations. Furthermore, the specialized tribunal will swiftly and impartially resolve disputes pertaining to governance, guaranteeing the more efficient operation of federations.
The measures were rejected by POA President Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri, who said that they amounted to government meddling in sports federations’ independent operations, a position that the IOC generally opposes. The urgent necessity for structural changes in athletics was emphasized during the discussion. Speaking following the meeting, one board member bemoaned the lack of advancement in Pakistan’s sports industry.
The board member said, “It is unacceptable that Arshad Nadeem is the only Olympic gold medallist in a country of over 250 million people.” “For far too long, sports federations have been poorly run, with some people putting travel and benefits ahead of performance.”
The Code of Ethics, Election Commission, and Tribunal for Sports Governance Disputes were unanimously adopted by the board, despite the POA President’s opposition. A Model Constitution for Federations must be adopted as part of the reforms, and all sports federations must match their governance structures to those of their respective international federations and the IOC Charter.
In order to guarantee a more open and accountable future for its athletes and federations, the government has made it clear that it intends to completely restructure Pakistan’s sports governance with these extensive reforms, regardless of objections.
