Why PSB's decision to ban Pakistan boxing chiefs is a poor move

In a surprise move Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) Board has banned Pakistan Boxing Federation’s (PBF) president Khalid Mehmood and Secretary General Col (retd) Nasir Tung, who according to the ruling will not be able to hold offices in any national sports federation in future.

PSB’s Board of Governors approved the recommendations of the inquiry committee which had been constituted by the IPC Ministry after the country’s premier boxer Zohaib Rasheed vanished in Italy just before the start of the world qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics in March this year.

The Board also advised the PSB to refer the case of the PBF top officials to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

It is a unique and perhaps first such decision in world sports where any top official of a federation has been banned by the state for defection of his or her athlete during an international assignment.

This correspondent understands that the world boxing governing body will not accept this decision of the PSB Board which is unique in its nature.

Why Zohaib defected?

It is evident that investigation conducted by the IPC inquiry committee lacks depth. The biggest issue is that financial problems forced Zohaib to take the major step of defection at a time when he was the sole Olympic hope of Pakistan in boxing in the Italy qualifiers.

During an interview he clarified from an undisclosed location that lack of facilities and financial woes forced him to take the extreme step.

Nukta understands that Zohaib used to draw Rs 35,000 as monthly salary from his department, the Pakistan Navy. Normally for an important event like the Olympics qualifiers, the state backs elite athletes in their training and nutritional requirements but it was not seen in case of the national boxing camp which took place at Lahore’s Railways Sports Complex, a venue which lacks required facilities.

This correspondent also saw pugilists struggling in the camp even for proper sparring. They used to go to a club run by a former Pakistan boxer Nouman Karimwhich is close to the Railways Sports Complex. Zohaib also complained about lack of state support.

Boxers in action during a bout.Pakistan Sports Board

Earlier, the defection of boxers Suleman Baloch and Nazirullah after they featured in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games also happened due to financial issues.

Recently three hockey players took the decision to settle in Europe in search of greener pastures. Judoka Qaiser Afridi also opted to settle in England last year because of lack of facilities at home. He has now decided to represent England at the international level.

The big question is whether only federations are responsible for facilitating the national athletes or the state also has a role in this?

Both federations and the state need to join hands and facilitate their athletes so that defections could be prevented in the future. This is the only remedy. Banning federation officials will not serve any purpose.

How banning Khalid will affect Pakistan’s chances of hosting the South Asian Games

Khalid Mehmood, the PBF chief, is also the Secretary General of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). The Board’s decision to ban him as PBF chief will affect the relations between POA and IPC Ministry. It also will affect the country’s preparations for the 14^th South Asian Games. Pakistan is expected to host the Games towards the end of next year. In a recent tour of New Delhi to attend the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) meeting the POA officials also interacted with the South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) about the probability of the region’s major spectacle which was last held by Nepal in 2019.

The PSB has been seen putting federations and even POA in trouble for the last so many years. Around a decade ago with the state support a parallel POA was formed which put Pakistan on the brink of international suspension. However, the then IPC Minister Riaz Pirzada brought normalcy by signing an agreement with the IOC in Lausanne which helped in restoring PSB’s relations with the POA. IOC also stresses that cordial relations between the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and respective states is the only way to ensure smooth running of sports in any country.