ISLAMABAD - Pakistan athletes, who are taking part in the 12th South Asian Games in Guwati, India, have been disgraced due to the organisers’ apathy.
The reliable sources present at the Games’ venue revealed that after going through pain and agony of 36-hour long travelling, when they finally reached the venue, there was no one who could help them out. “We were provided accommodation around one-hour drive from the venue, while our hotels have been changed every night,” they said.
The sources further said that due to non-availability of transport, Pakistani squash team missed crucial practice session on Saturday morning, while they had to play in the evening against local players in the semifinals. “What a disgrace for Pakistan players, who were given such embracing treatment due to wrong decisions of PSB Director General. How on earth would it be possible for these players to perform after going through such mental and physical torture?” they questioned.
The sources lamented: “Athletics team head coach Asghar Gill and top national female table tennis player Ghalia Mohsin, official Mohsin Raza, top athlete Shafqat Abbas, champion cyclist M Saghir, wrestler Abdul Rehman and top handball player Imran failed to get accreditation cards and were left behind. They all had bright chances to win gold medals for the country. On the other hand, PSB DG Ganjera managed to get Shabana Yasir, daily wager at swimming pool, flew to Guwati on Friday morning.”
They regretted that it was a great injustice with PSB high officials, who had spent almost their entire lives in the board and were never given opportunity to even travel within the country, while on the other hand, national wealth had been wasted on near and dear ones.
The sources in the PSB said that the players were left on the mercy of toothless PSB officials, who were not ready to at least inform them that there was no hope left for them to join the rest of the contingent, so that they might leave the PSB premises and join their families.
The sources urged Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif to take notice of such irregularities being done in the PSB and ill-treatment with Pakistan players in India so that they might play freely and earn medals for the country.