KARACHI, June 6: The much awaited executive committee and general body of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) are likely to meet in the city later this month to sort out pending issues including release of grants to provincial sports bodies.

The provincial sports bodies are eagerly waiting for funds particularly after the new body headed by Dr Mohammad Ali Shah came into power in the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) supervised elections on January 22.

Though the orthopaedic surgeon who is also Sindh Minister for Sports held an informal get-together of key office-bearers of various provincial sports associations at his residence sometime back, the first proper meeting could not take place for five months for one reason or the other.

Dr Shah, however, made his presence felt at the executive committee meeting of the POA held at Lahore on May 24 on special invitation from the POA hierarchy.

Meanwhile, the annual budget of the province for the next fiscal year of 2008-09 is likely to be announced in a couple of days, it is yet to be seen that sports gets some enhancement or retain the same as in 2007-08.

It is pertinent to mention that the annual sports budget of the province was increased manifold — from Rs15 million to Rs80 million — two years back.

Following the announcement of third Inter-provincial games at Peshawar from November 9 to 13, it is vital that Sindh start its preparation right now to achieve better results.

The NWFP will also play host to the 31st National Games at Peshawar sometime next year.