Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Tuesday strongly denied amending its constitution and enhancing the age limit of its office bearers. “No constitutional amendment has been made to extend the tenure of POA officials nor has there been any change in the retirement age of office bearers of POA which was introduced in the POA Constitution in 2019 by General Council itself,” POA secretary general Khalid Mahmood told Daily Times yesterday. It was reported in a section of media on Tuesday that the POA had made key amendments in its constitution to extend the tenure and retirement age of its office bearers. The report also said the POA convened a special meeting on December 1 in which it made amendments in its constitution to extend the tenure of the current management till Olympics Games 2024. “The tenure of the current POA management expired on November 25, 2023, hence they amended the constitution to extend it till Olympics Games this year,” the report added. It is pertinent to mention that the POA executive committee on Sunday named Syed Muhammad Abid Qadri Gillani as its interim president after Lieutenant General (r) Syed Arif Hasan stepped down as the president of Pakistan Olympic Association after remaining in office for over 19 years on Saturday. Following Hasan’s resignation, the POA’s executive committee named Abid Qadri as interim president till the next elections. The next elections to elect a new POA president will be held only after the Paris Olympics 2024.

Clarifying the scenario, Khalid said in a decisive move in 2022, the POA’s General Council unanimously agreed to adjust the electoral cycle to align with the Olympic Games, as stipulated in Article IX of the POA Constitution. “Consequently, after the Paris 2024 Olympics, the POA will hold the Elective General Council as per the decision confirmed unanimously in two separate General Council meetings of the POA. The most recent Electoral Assembly elected officials for a term ending in 2024, contrary to the report’s claim of 2023,” Khalid added.

He said this had been a unanimous decision of all stakeholders — including National Sports Federations (NSFs), Provincial Olympic Associations, Service Organisations and Departments — to hold elections after the Olympic Games in line with Article IX of the POA Constitution. It was taken in 2022 and approved by the International Olympic Council (IOC) in June 2023. “The recent modifications to the POA Constitution align with the IOC’s Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance. These amendments include a reduction of the Executive Committee’s size from 32 to 22 members. Additionally, it has been proposed that candidates for the POA Elections must be under the age of 71 at the time of their candidacy. This age limit ensures that elected officials can serve a full four-year term, thereby completing an entire Olympic Cycle.”

Khalid said the POA had also introduced a new framework to support National Sports Federations in promoting Olympic Values through their sports. “This framework encompasses a comprehensive Code of Ethics and streamlined operational policies. Consequently, the allegations suggesting that the POA officials have amended the constitution to prolong their terms or to create additional opportunities for election participation are both unfounded and misleading,” Khalid concluded.