ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Sports has expressed concern over what it observed the decline of sports and stressed on steps to revive the standards of sports in the country.

The sub-committee met here at the Senate Secretariat on Monday to review the sports policy and the ways to elevate the declining level of sports in the country.

Senator Enver Baig chaired the meeting which was also attended by fellow senators Tariq Azeem and Tahir Mashadi.

Two top officials of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) who were summoned by the committee failed to turn up.

The meeting urged the PSF to work out for the development of the game while also showed its displeasure over the absence of PHF President Mir Zaffarulah Khan Jamali and PSF President Air Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed from the meeting.

Provincial sports heads from Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were also absent.

Federal Minister for Sports Najamuddin Khan cancelled registration of three sports federations — Pakistan Shootingball Federation, Billiard and Snooker Association of Pakistan and Adventure Foundation of Pakistan — with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for violating the sports policy.

Regarding the ‘non-serious’ attitude of the PHF, Enver said: “PHF President Zaffarullah Jamali and other officials have not responded to the meeting and ignored an important platform to explain their point of view.

“Now they must appear before the committee on Thursday.”

“Convey my displeasure to the PSF president as he had never turned up at the meeting for the last four years,” Enver told PSF Senior Vice-president AVM Asim Suleman, who was representing the squash federation.

Sports stalwarts from hockey and squash and commentators also gave their input at the day-long meeting.

Olympian Abdul Waheed Khan criticised poor performance of the hockey federation during the last 11 years and requested the committee to ask the PHF to furnish a comprehensive financial document which would show the expenses bored by the PHF on international tours and camps they held during that period.

“The government should immediately stop all international tours of the national hockey squad as they continued to tour various international destinations showing no signs of improvement,” Waheed said.

“Look at the interest of the PHF officials with hockey as they have failed to turn up at the meeting,” he said.

Squash legend Jansher Khan lambasted the PSF for not showing results and failing to consult former champions.

“The PSF never consulted us and this shows how the federation treats their heroes,” Jansher said.

He asserted: “With the current system, I can guarantee their will be no champion even in the next 25 years.”

Commenting on the 2005 Sports Policy, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) former director general Zakir H. Syed said: “The sports policy is totally flawed and structured incorrectly.

“Why can’t a sports official hold federation offices for more than two terms? One should be allowed to continue if he is delivering results,” said the veteran hockey commentator.

“Grants to sports federations must be released in one go rather than in installments,” he said.

Sports secretary Ashraf Khan said: “All sports federations should opt for new marketing strategies rather than depending on government funds.”

AVM Asim Suleman gave a brief presentation with a 2011 vision for the development of squash in various regions of the country.

He said: “Today we are being criticised for not producing world champions, which is unfair since we won the World Junior Men’s Championship in Switzerland.”

“We always welcome suggestions from the squash legends,” he added.

“Jahangir Khan has been the president of the World Squash Federation for last eight years but he has never supported the PSF,” Asim alleged.

Meanwhile, the committee asked the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) to appear on Thursday and clarify their role in the development of sports in the country.