KARACHI, Nov 18: President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), Lt. Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hassan, said on Tuesday that he has submitted a comprehensive plan to the government to incur a sum of Rs400 million in its coffer during 2008-2010, aimed at achieving desired results in the field of sports.

“If allocated, the money would be spent on scientific training and effective participation of Pakistani sportspersons globally for the revival of golden past and attaining new heights,” he told a press conference at Karachi Club.

He has identified 20 disciplines along with their funding in addition to finalising international sporting events in which Pakistan would make its presence felt over the next two years.

Arif, who also heads the Pakistan Sports Trust (PST), said since coming at the helm of POA some five years back he has made sincere efforts to arrest the decline and climb back on the ladder as before.

Paying rich tributes to Pakistani sportspersons he said they have amassed 50 gold, 49 silver and 68 bronze medals internationally during the last two years and did the country proud.

He specifically threw light on Pakistan’s achievements at the 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games held at Pune, India, inaugural Asian Beach Games held at Bali, Indonesia, and shining performance of handball, wrestling, kabaddi, bodybuilding, volleyball and taekwondo teams abroad.

Gen Arif disclosed that since its inception in January 2005, the PST has disbursed an enormous amount of Rs196 million which is sort of a record in the country’s sports history as the national sports federations has never seen so much money being doled out to them.

He went on to say that specific improvement has been witnessed in individual sports like judo, karate, tae kwondo, wushu, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling.

He called upon all stake holders – the POA, PST and Ministry of Sports – to make collective efforts in achieving the goal. At the same time he cautioned that all the efforts would go waste if the process is not started right now.

Pakistan has focused on five international events apiece in 2009 and 2010.

In 2009, Pakistan figures in inaugural Asian Martial Art Games at Bangkok (April 25 to May 3), inaugural Asian Youth Games Singapore (June 30 to July 6), 2nd Islamic Solidarity Games Iran (Oct 15 to 29), 3rd Asian Indoor Games Hanoi, Vietnam (Nov 2 to 12) and 11th South Asian Games Bangladesh (Nov-Dec).

In 2010, Pakistani teams will feature in XXI Olympic Winter Games at Vancouver, Canada, (Feb 12 to 28), inaugural Summer Olympic Youth Games Singapore (final dates not yet given), XIX Commonwealth Games New Delhi (Oct 3 to 14), 16th Asian Games Guangzhou, China, (Nov 12 to 27) and 2nd Asian Beach Games Muscat, Oman, (Dec).