Training camps for Asian Games to be held at PSC

ISLAMABAD The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has decided to hold the national training camps of all sports disciplines at Pakistan Sports Complex (PSC) as preparations for the 16th Asian Games to be held from November 12 to 17 at Guangzhou, China. A source told TheNation here on Tuesday that 169 contingent members including players and officials would visit China. Baseball, snooker, squash, kabaddi, volleyball and martial art games camps are getting underway at different venues of the PSC, he said. However, hockey and football camps will also start soon at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium and Jinnah Stadium respectively. The national hockey team will visit Malaysia for some practice matches ahead of the Asian Games, he said. He further said that squash girls had arrived while boys would join the camp in next couple of days. Boxing camp will resume at Laiquat Gymnasium under the supervision of foreign coach. Volleyball and wrestling teams have also hired the services of overseas coaches, he added. Weightlifting camp will also start in next two days and Shuja-uddin Malik will not join the camp because of Delhi saga. He was not allowed to hold the national flag in the 19th Commonwealth Games as it was decided to honour him for this task, he maintained. He said that national soccer team was not the part of the contingent for Asian Games in the earlier decision of the PSB. However, President Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Faisal Saleh Hayat, finally got permission to send the football team for the quadrennial sports showpiece of the Asian nations. Source said that the PSB was willing to organise all camps under its control. The aim of this decision is to monitor the performance of the national sports federations and to get satisfactory results in the mega event of the region, he viewed. The PSC has all international standard facilities including equipment for international competitions. Director General PSB Amir Hamza Gilani is taking keen interest in the camps and providing all facilities to national athletes during the camps, he concluded.