KARACHI: The Sindh Sports and Youth Affairs Department on Thursday took strong exception to a story published in a section of press including this newspaper with reference to alleged nepotism and misuse of grants.

The Sindh Sports Department blamed sports mafias and parallel bodies for creating all the mess and for making ‘fake’ accusations in the story. Secretary Sports Imtiaz Ali Shah, in a statement issued on Thursday, strongly denied the allegations of nepotism or any misuse in distribution of annual sports grants and he categorically stated that only genuine sports association or bodies are eligible for allocation of grants and representation at the provincial and national level sports events.

“I have no hesitation in saying that sports mafias and parallel bodies which have been formed by vested interests and shady people are out to destroy sports and create all the mess,” said Imtiaz Shah. “In Sindh Sports Department, we are making sure to uphold merit and issue grants to only genuine sports bodies and that is disturbing for the mafias who are using all negative and nasty tactics to spoil things.

The Secretary Sports further informed that there are at least seven people who have been banned for 10 years by the General Council of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) in February 2013 from participating in any sports activities of the POA or holding any office or position or being affiliated to any organization, association or federation affiliated with POA.

“Those seven people include Mudassir Arain, President, Sindh Netball Association who alongwith his accomplices are running various fake and illegal unregistered sports association and federation in the province of Sindh and are also involved in defaming of the Sport Department and massive corruption of government money since year 2012-13,” he alleged. “The other six banned people also include that Asif Bajwa of Pakistan Basketball Federation, Ghulam Ali, Shahnawaz Marri of Balochistan Olympic Association, Zafar Abbas Lak of Pakistan Volleyball Federation, Mujahid Rana of Pakistan Hockey Federation and Col Qaiser Mustafa of Pakistan Taekwondo Federation.

Imtiaz Shah also clearly stated that the Sindh Sports Department has issued grants to as many as 104 sports clubs, organisations and institutions as well as to 42 sports associations in the year 2020-21, the full record of which is with the sports dep and can be furnished whenever required.

“With regards to the allegations made by Athletics Association, Chess Assoc­iation, Cycling Association and Handball Association, their version is totally fake, false and fabricated without any substance, totally wrong as these associations have no existence in Sindh Province,” he added.

Meanwhile, heads of various Sports Associations including Syed Haider Hussain, Secretary, Karachi Hockey Association, Asghar Baluch, President, Sindh Boxing Association, Ghulam Muhammad Khan, President, Karachi Basketball Association and Khalid Rehmani, Vice President, Sindh Tennis Association expressed serious concern on the news published and clearly mentioned that Sindh Sports Board is not only supporting us but also supporting more than 35 Sports Associations without any discrimination.

They jointly said: “We are organizing our games regularly for which we have the patronage of Sindh Sports Board and also other supporting organisations.”

They further added that Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah, Secretary Sports treats all sports associations equally without any discrimination. The budget approved for Sports in Sindh speaks of the keen interest of Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah for the promotion of Sports not only in Karachi but in all Divisions of Sindh, for which we are thankful to him.

Meanwhile, Secretary General Sindh Olympic Association, Ahmed Ali Rajput also showed full confidence on sports department Sindh and for secretary’s guidance and financial assistance to more than 35 Sports Associations affiliated with SOA.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2021