LAHORE: In a drastic change of plans on the eve of the Rio Olympics opening ceremony, the idiotic Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has nominated shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, also known as GM Bashir, to hold Pakistan’s flag despite having named Judoka Shah Hussain for the task earlier. Well-placed sources were quoted as saying that there were differences between the PSB and the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) over who would be Pakistan’s flag bearer. The PSB had earlier nominated Judoka Shah Hussain but a statement by chief-de-mission Shaukat Javed has revealed Bashir will bear the country’s flag. Such a last-minute change of plans, however, is not unprecedented. In the past too, Pakistan had seen controversies over who would hold the flag. In the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, the POA had named Shujauddin Malik, the country’s gold medal winning weightlifter at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, to lead the Pakistan contingent during the ceremony. However, Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah (late), the country’s chef-de-mission at the event, led the detail with the flag in his hand after pushing aside the weightlifter – which was caught on camera. ‘Please allow my son to carry the flag’: Pakistan’s former Olympian and gold medalist Hussain Shah expressed disappointment after his son was replaced by Bashir as country’s flag bearer. Shah said: “I never changed my nationality because I wanted my children to represent Pakistan. Please allow my son to carry the flag.” Shah remains optimistic that his son will win a medal for Pakistan. Pakistan contingent comprises seven athletes and 11 officials. With the national hockey side failing to qualify, this is the smallest ever Pakistan contingent for the Olympics in history. Bashir, Shah Hussain, and female shooter Minal are the only three athletes who qualified for the event. The other four athletes from Pakistan qualified on wild cards.