PSB introduces new NOC guidelines as sports federations face increased scrutiny

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have tightened noose around national sports federations with some stringent guidelines which revolve around No Objection Certificate (NOC) processing timeline, trials and team selection process and a load of other measures which if implemented will put the sports bodies in deep trouble.

Extending the timeframe of submitting application for NOC for fielding a team in an international event from six weeks to eight weeks has augmented the woes of the federations.

“This is not workable,” a federation official told Nukta.

This correspondent understands that just a few days ago a federation, which was fielding its team in international event, was issued NOC by the PSB just three hours before the squad’s departure.

Nukta also knows that a federation’s NOC was once delayed but, in order to protect itself from Rs20 million penalty from the international federation, the same federation opted to field its two teams in international events without NOC and when those teams returned home the PSB released them the NOCs.

The guidelines issued the other day to the federations also say that federations must appoint a selection committee on an annual basis, comprising impartial and professional personnel responsible for conducting trials and selecting players and teams based on merit.

The trials must be conducted at least three months before the event through the designated selection committee. The schedule of trials, including event name, venue, date, time, and terms and conditions, should be communicated to all affiliated units (provinces, regions, and departments) and the PSB at least 15 days before the trials. The PSB will post this schedule on its official website.

The board said in its notification that the results must be recorded on the trials and player potential proforma and submitted within three days to the affiliated units. The PSB which will upload the results on its website to ensure transparency.

NOC requirement

For teams or individual players, federations must submit the complete NOC application to the PSB within seven days of announcing the trial results (and at least eight weeks before the event). Some of the important things that the application must include are PSB’s prescribed proforma for sending Pakistan teams abroad, computer proforma for security clearance and surety bond.

The relevant federations must also submit a proforma for inviting foreign sports teams to Pakistan along with a computer proforma for security clearance. Each participant must provide four colored photographs and a copy of their passport.

The NOC application must be submitted on the federation’s official letterhead, accompanied by a checklist of the required documents at least eight weeks before the event.

Scrutiny of documents and NOC processing

The PSB will scrutinize the documents and, if found in order, will forward the case to the Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry for further processing with the foreign and interior ministries. In case of any discrepancy in the documents, federation will be granted a three-day period to provide the requisite documents for further processing. Failing this, the NOC request may be declined.

Upon receipt of the final NOC from the Ministry, the PSB will upload the NOC on its official website with a QR code for authentication. A copy will also be sent to the NSF and the relevant Pakistan mission abroad.

During the visit, all contingents are required to adhere to the SOPs outlined and federations must submit a post visit report within ten days of the event’s conclusion. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in refusing to process the NOC for the federation.

No federation is permitted to send a team abroad for any international sports event, competition, or tour without a prior NOC, regardless of whether the event is funded by a government body, local sponsor or international organization. Violation of this rule may result in the NSF’s disaffiliation.

National color holder

In the 30th PSB Board meeting held on September 10, 2024, criteria were also approved for declaring a sportsperson as a national color holder. Any player who participates in an international event without obtaining an NOC from the PSB will not be recognized as a national color holder and will not be eligible for a cash award under the cash award policy if they win a medal.

The PSB also said that it is developing an e-portal. Once launched federations will be able to submit online NOC requests. In the interim, federations with official emails associated with their web domains may submit NOC requests online with the complete documents to save time and paper.

A meeting was held on August 1, 2024, at PSB Conference Room to discuss issues pertaining to sports development projects and E-Portal of PSB.Pakistan Sports Board

The competent authority may relax the time limit in exceptional cases upon submission of a plausible explanation by the federation for late submission.

“All previous guidelines and instructions issued by the PSB regarding trials, team selection, NOC processing, and post-visit reports are hereby superseded and replaced by these updated guidelines,” the Board said in its notification.