POA grants much awaited affiliation to FATA Olympic Association

PESHAWAR: In a historical move the Pakistan Olympic Association Saturday granted much awaited affiliation to FATA Olympic Association enabling them to field separate contingents in both Inter-Provincial Games and National Games respectively.

This was stated by Vice President of the Pakistan Olympic Association Syed Aqil Shah in a press conference here at Provincial Olympic House. Secretary FATA Olympic Association Shahid Khan Shinwari, Senior Vice President and international hockey player Imtiaz Afridi, Vice President and former international athlete Noor Aslam, Director Sports FATA Faisal Jamil Shah, Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association Zulfiqar Butt and other office-bearers of the FATA Olympic Association were also present.

"Today is history in making and certainly grantingaffiliation to FATA is a historical decision taken by the Pakistan OlympicAssociation," a jubilant Syed Aqil Shah, who is also Provincial Sports Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa added.

With granting of affiliation to FATA the strength of theaffiliated units of the Pakistan Olympic Association reached to 13 and nowFATA is part and parcel of the Olympic family along with the other memberscomprising Pakistan Army, PAF, Navy, Railways, Pakistan Police, Pakistan Wapda, Higher Education Commission, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Islamabad, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he further added.

"We will welcome both the Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to apply for affiliation to POA like the FATA had," Aqil Shah remarked. He also lauded Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Masood Kausar, and the newly elected President of the FATA Olympic Association Federation Minister for SAFRON Shoukat Ullah for their support in the connection.

He also lauded President POA Lt. Gen Arif Hassan, Secretary General Khaliq Khan and Director POA Major Afzal for taking keen interest in the case of FATA affiliation.

Shahid Khan Shinwari in his comments thanked the POA and specially the Governor Barrister Masood Kausar, Syed Aqil Shah for having their role in the affiliation of FATA with POA. "I congratulate the people of FATA, my tribal youth, talented players of FATA because after affiliation the players would be able to reach at national and international levels with their own identity," Shahid Khan Shinwari remarked.

He said FATA would take part in all 18 disciplines including 4 female events in the forthcoming Inter-Provincial Games and for this purpose soon a meeting of all associations affiliated with FATA Olympic Association would be invited for the trials open for all to select the teams on merit.

Director Faisal Jamil Shah disclosed that 250 plus contingent would be sent to Quetta for the Games. Aqil Shah said that the Governor KP Masood Kausar promised to take steps for provision of developing infrastructure in FATA besides releasing funds for the preparation of FATA contingent.