PSB forms inquiry committee over irregularities, athlete disappearances during FISU Games
According to a notification issued with the approval of the PSB Director General, the committee has been tasked with probing serious lapses, including the reported disappearance of two student-athletes, questionable selection of team officials, disciplinary issues, and logistical mismanagement. The inquiry panel will submit its findings within 15 days.
The committee is headed by Director PSB Lahore, Noor-us-Sabah, with Nasrullah Rana and Saif-ur-Rehman Rao serving as members.
'The decision was taken after multiple concerns emerged regarding Pakistan's contingent at the Games, ranging from team disqualifications to the suspected escape of athletes,' said a PSB spokesperson.
Notably, the women's 4x400m relay team was disqualified from the event, while a judo athlete was reportedly made to compete without proper coaching support or an official competition uniform.
The PSB noted that all team officials, except one coach, were from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) or HEC-affiliated universities.
This has prompted scrutiny over the transparency and merit of the selection process.
'The committee will thoroughly examine the nomination of athletes and officials by HEC, determine whether due process was followed, and identify any procedural lapses,' the notification stated.
It will also investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the two athletes, trace the timeline of events, and fix responsibility on those found negligent or involved in misconduct.
As part of its Terms of Reference, the committee will assess the reasons behind the disqualification of the women's relay team and evaluate any coaching or administrative gaps that led to the judo athlete competing under-equipped.
Disciplinary action has been promised against individuals found responsible for mismanagement or dereliction of duty.
The development comes amid growing calls for greater oversight and accountability in Pakistan's sports administration, particularly in international student and youth competitions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Qin takes 'miracle' second breaststroke gold
China's swimmer Qin Haiyang celebrates his victory in the men's 200m breaststroke swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. PHOTO: AFP China's roaring Qin Haiyang won his second breaststroke gold of the Singapore swimming world championships on Friday as he edged a 200m nail-biter. World record holder Qin surged to the wall in 2min 07.41sec, ahead of Japan's Ippei Watanabe (2:07.70) and Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands (2:07.73). The 26-year-old Qin won the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week but he celebrated his second victory as if it were his first. He punched the air before whipping up the delighted Chinese fans in the arena, who screamed him on to a thrilling victory. Qin started the race in lane eight after qualifying slowest from the semi-finals but it made no difference as he regained the world title he won in 2023 in style. "Amazing," said Qin. "Have you heard of the lane eight miracle? "I did not know if I was second or third, I just heard 'whoo', so I knew I had won." The lead changed hands several times, with American AJ Pouch and Russian Kirill Prigoda also challenging. In the end it was Qin who got the decisive touch ahead of Watanabe, giving the Chinese swimmer his fourth medal of the championships in Singapore. Qin is returning to form after flopping at last year's Paris Olympics, where he did not even make the final of the 200m breaststroke. His preparations for the Games were thrown into turmoil when he was implicated in a major doping scandal months before the Games. A report named Qin among 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for a prescription heart drug ahead of the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympics. They were not sanctioned after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted the argument of Chinese authorities that the positive tests were caused by contaminated food. The flamboyant Qin, who won bronze in the 50m in Singapore, gave his overall performance at the competition full marks. "In the past I always felt there's room for improvement. Now I'm better at encouraging myself," he said. "I can give myself 100 out of 100. I should rest well after this." Qin, who clinched all three individual breaststroke crowns in Japan in 2023 to announce himself to the world, feels there is still room for improvement. The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics are already on his mind. "What I've done best here is take this pressure on well," he added. "That was truly the hardest thing I faced here. "When a person faces challenges, it's natural to want to run away and hide from it. In this respect, I think I've done well." Douglass dedicates world gold to stricken US after 'rough' week Kate Douglass dedicated her 200m breaststroke gold Friday to her team-mates after a "rough" week for the United States battling illness at swimming's world championships in Singapore. The US team have been hit by an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis in the camp, with team officials saying the "overwhelming majority" of swimmers have been affected. Douglass comfortably won her race in a championship-record 2min 18.50sec, with Russian world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova (2:19.96) second and South Africa's Kaylene Corbett (2:23.52) third. Despite their troubles the US lead Australia in the medals table with two more days of competition left and Olympic champion Douglass said she was happy to make a contribution. "That win was huge, not just for me but for the whole team," said the 23-year-old. "I wanted to get a gold for Team USA to help our medal count. "I think with the rough week that we've had, we've done a great job of coming back and showing that we are here to race." Douglass took control of the final early and never looked like giving up her lead, despite a late surge from Chikunova. The Russian was competing under a "neutral athletes" banner and Douglass said she was "really excited to race her tonight".
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Punjab opposition slams police raids ahead of Aug 5 protest
Listen to article The Opposition in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday strongly condemned police raids on the residences of its MPAs and the alleged harassment of their families ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) countrywide protest on August 5. As the assembly session began under the chair of Acting Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channer, Deputy Opposition Leader Muhammad Moeenuddin Riaz raised the issue on a point of order, expressing serious concern over what he termed as a preemptive crackdown. 'There are still many days left in August 5, but the police officials have already started conducting raids at the residences of our MPAs,' he said. 'It is regrettable that the families of our MPAs and workers are also being harassed by Punjab police,' he added, demanding the law minister take immediate notice of the situation. Read More: LHC suspends by-poll schedule for NA-175 Riaz also voiced disappointment over the delay in forming a committee to investigate an earlier incident involving an attack and the use of abusive language against Opposition MPAs by the private guards of treasury lawmakers. However, Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman appeared unaware of the raids. 'It is not in my knowledge,' he said, while assuring the House that he would contact senior police officials and the Home Department to obtain more information. Later, Opposition MPA Tayyab Rashid raised concerns about the illegal human organ trade, alleging that a kidney transplantation racket was operating in Sheikhupura 'under the nose of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.' He criticised the government for targeting the Opposition instead of addressing pressing issues affecting the public. 'The government should de-focus from the Opposition and do something for the needy masses,' he said. Also Read: District hospitals to offer angioplasty PPP MPA Qazi Ahmad Saeed also spoke on the floor, highlighting an alleged water theft scandal. He claimed that influential individuals were diverting canal water to their own lands, leaving poor farmers helpless. 'They knocked the doors many times of concerned authorities, but their efforts proved futile,' he told the assembly. From the treasury benches, MPA Amjad Ali Javed raised an issue regarding Higher Education Commission (HEC) policies, stating that new regulations were causing distress among computer science students. He said the HEC had ruled that a computer science degree would not be considered valid without accreditation from a specific council. 'Students who have completed two semesters are now deeply concerned about the issue,' Javed noted. He urged the HEC to review and relax the policy in the interest of students' futures.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
German biathlete feared dead in Pakistan rockfall
German double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier was caught in a rockfall in Pakistan and rescuers have not found "signs of life" at the accident site, her team said Tuesday. The accident happened Monday while Dahlmeier was climbing with a partner on Laila Peak, a mountain of over 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from her team on her official social media sites. The 31-year-old was "hit by falling rocks," it said, adding no one had yet been able to reach her due to the danger of further rockfalls and the site's "remoteness". However, a helicopter managed to fly over the location and rescuers saw that "the experienced mountainer is at least seriously injured", it said. "No signs of life were detected." The accident happened around midday at 5,700 metres and a rescue operation was launched immediately. The International Biathlon Union said in a statement it was "thinking of Dahlmeier and her family, hoping for good news to emerge soon". Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already ascended the Great Trango Tower, it said. She has won seven world championship gold medals, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang she became the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games.
