Abid Qadri Gillani becomes POA interim chief as Arif Hasan steps down after 19 years

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Pakistan Olympic Association (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. Hasan, who was first elected as president POA in March 2004, confirmed about authenticity of his resignation letter. “Totally legit,” Arif said when this correspondent asked if the letter of resignation is true, which has been doing rounds on social media. Arif is in USA for the last many days for his treatment. He confirmed in his resignation letter addressed to members of POA’s Executive Committee that he has decided to step aside due to his health. “I am writing to formally resign as the President of the Pakistan Olympic Association, effective January 1, 2024,” Hasan wrote in the letter, dated December 28, 2023. “The decision to step aside is not one I have taken lightly. It is borne out of the necessity to balance my health and well-being with the demands of leading such a dynamic and impactful organisation. Hope you will understand and respect this decision of mine,” he added.

“I assure you that I earnestly desire a smooth transition to ensure the continuity of our excellent work. It is my sincere wish that POA continues to thrive and excel, building on the solid foundation we have established together,” he noted. Hasan, who was first named as head of organising committee of South Asian Games in 2002, was first elected to the office of POA in 2004. He was then elected for next four consecutive terms. Hasan was usually criticised by politicians and fans for Pakistan’s medals drought in Olympics. Most recently, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) senior leader Ahsan Iqbal posted a critical post on social media targeting Hasan. However, the POA and Hasan had always maintained that it was Pakistan Sports Board’s job to provide infrastructure and training facilities to athletes, while the POA was only a representative organisation in IOC on behalf of Pakistani sports bodies. Meanwhile, POA’s secretary Khalid Mehmood also confirmed about Hasan’s resignation on medical grounds. 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 held only after the Paris Olympics 2024.