Aisam not allowed to hold green flag in opening ceremony

ISLAMABAD World-class tennis star, Aisam-ul-Haq was also willing to hold the green flag in the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games, which are going on in New Delhi, India, TheNation has learnt. A credible source informed this scribe that tennis star Aisam, who produced excellent performance and brought laurels for Pakistan, was also willing to bear the national flag in the opening ceremony of the mega sports showpiece of the 72 nations. However, it was decided that weightlifter Sujha-uddin Malik would be honoured for holding the flag before departing to India for competitions. Aisam did not take part in the march past in the opening ceremony, as the conflict between Dr Mohammad Ali and Sujah had already been appeared, he said. He said that the Ministry of Sports and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had also started campaign to protect Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who disgraced the whole nation in the opening ceremony of 19th Commonwealth Games. The people are demanding his removal, he said. The Ministry of Sports and PSB officials are publicly saying that the Sindh Sports Minister is a powerful man and representing a powerful political party of the Sindh province and no one can take any action against him. No one had told the doctor that who would have to bear the flag in the opening ceremony, he viewed. Source said that the Ministry of Sports and PSB was willing to put all responsibility on Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) of the flag fiasco. The POA and PSB have not good working relations since the current Director General took over the charge of the PSB. Also, government is not willing to take any action against Mohammad Ali Shah, he added. He further said that the ministry was also under pressure for saying some thing on the issue, however, after arriving of the Federal Minister for Sports Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani the facts would come out and final decision will be in this regard. Jakhrani is expected to arrive in Pakistan on October 10, as he is in London with his family. The government officials are trying their best to bury this incident to save the Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah from MQM, he said. He said that the head of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports, Iqbal Mohammad Ali was also with the same political party and he would summon president of POA Arif Hasan to reply the questions of the members. Attitude of the Chef-de-Mission did not remain acceptable for the players during the games, he said.

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