Lahore
President Pakistan Olympic Association, Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan has been elected as the member of the Sports Committee of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) for the Asia, becoming the first Pakistani to become part of the CGF’s Management. This CGF Sports Committee is entrusted with the tasks to act as an advisory body to the Executive Board on strategic and technical matters related to sport and partnerships with International Federations which impact the Commonwealth Games and the broader Commonwealth Sport Movement, said Secretary,POA Muhammad Khalid Mehmood here on Friday. Earlier this year Arif Hasan was also unanimously elected Vice President (South Asian Zone) of Olympic Council of Asia for the consecutive fourth time.
“The CGF has been working to bring organizational changes, under Dame Louise Martin DBE to deliver inspirational and innovative Commonwealth Games, built on friendships and to develop a proud heritage, supported by a dynamic Commonwealth Sports Cities Network. The aim of the CGF is to foster friendship and a legacy for the Commonwealth athletes and countries “,he asserted. Lt. Gen (R) Syed Arif Hassan vigorously working for employing the Olympic Values of Peace Through Sports, Gender Equality, Environmental Protection and foremost his efforts to protect the autonomy of sports in Pakistan have been widely acknowledged,he said. “He (Arif Hasan) believes very firmly that the Olympic Values Education Program and Sports are the prime tools to develop harmony and peace in the world and therefore POA is implementing the IOC Agenda 2020 steadily. The most significant of POA programs, supported and funded by the IOC Olympic Solidarity, have already started delivering results as the first individual qualification of a Pakistani shooter Khalil Akhtar for the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020,” he said. He said we are really hopeful for Saadi Abass to secure birth in Tokyo Olympics in pursuit of which he is at Tokyo Open Karate 1 Premier League. Saadi, has also secured IOC Olympic Solidarity Scholarship as well as he is being sponsored by Toyota Indus Motors. Our athletes have been performing tremendously despite paucity of resources and patronage they deserve and they will Insha Allah make the nation proud. POA will continue supporting national athletes within its limited resources secured through IOC funding.
Khalid Mehmood said “ On the other hand the representation of women in the POA Executive Committee and General Council has increased and POA is steadily implementing good governance, clean athlete and environmental measures across Pakistan in accordance with the IOC Olympic Agenda 2020. These measures adopted by the POA under the leadership of Lt. Gen (R) Syed Arif Hasan have placed Pakistan at a distinctive position among the global sports community and will benefit our cause for the betterment of our national sports culture”.—APP
