Karachi : Making tall claims would never help Pakistan s cause to portray soft image throughout the world but the devil is in the details and the concerned authorities should do something more than just claims or at least do their duty.
We are disgraced. What can I do now? Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) President Alamgir Sheikh said. After approval from sports ministry, I sent invitation to five countries including India. But now our interior ministry is not giving NOC to Indian players.
Being Pakistani, this is a disgracing situation for us. This shows communication gap and disorganization within the country. I appeal to Interior Minister Rehman Malik to look into the matter and please give NOC to Indian cueists to save our blushes, Alamgir Sheikh told PPI.
PBSA is organizing 6-Nation International Snooker Championship from 4 to 9 March at PC Hotel in Karachi.
We have been making efforts for a long time to organize international tournaments to send a positive message to the world but when we have convinced foreign players to come to Pakistan, our own people are letting us down, he said.
In December last year when Chinese hockey team came here in Pakistan to play four-match Test series, Rehman Malik was the chief guest in the opening ceremony of the series in Karachi. During his speech, Rehman said that providing security to international teams was the duty of the government and he assured all sports bodies and federations of watertight security for all international team they would host in future.
It is the duty of the government to provide fool-proof security to international teams. All sports federations should invite foreign teams and I assure them of security from the government, media reported then.
News tickers are running on TV channels from the morning but no official from the Interior Ministry have taken notice and contacted me yet to resolve our grievances, Alamgir said.
Yasin Reza Merchant and Mohammad Faisal Khan registered for the tournament but the Pakistani embassy in India, allegedly didn t issued them visas saying that they didn t received any NOC from Pakistan s Interior Ministry.
Apart from Indian players, two players from each Egypt, Thailand, Iran and UAE would come to Pakistan to participate in the tournament.
Moreover, International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) President Pascal Guillaume of France, IBSF Secretary Mohammad HM Elkammah of Egypt and a delegate from Iran Hashim Eskandarirad would also come to Pakistan during the tournament.
International events are very important when foreign teams are reluctant to come here. But government support is essential to do anything here, Alamgir added.
