Sports News | POA President Arif Hasan Steps Down After 19 Years in Office

Karachi, Dec 31 (PTI) Pakistan's second longest serving sports official, Lt General (retd) Arif Hasan has stepped down as the president of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) after 19 years due to health problems.

Hasan had succeeded Syed Wajid Ali Shah as the president of the Olympic body in 2004 after the latter remained in power for 26 years.

Also Read | ‘Thala for a Reason’ Funny Memes & Jokes Go Viral as Cricket Lovers Connect EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD to MS Dhoni’s Jersey ‘7’.

Hasan was in his fourth term as president of the powerful POA but has now sent a letter to the executive council members submitting his resignation from January 1, 2024.

“Yes, I have sent my resignation as I am in the USA for medical treatment and other family matters for which I now need to spare time,” Hasan confirmed on telephone.

Also Read | NZ vs BAN 3rd T20I 2023: New Zealand Beats Bangladesh by 17 Runs, Shares Series 1-1.

Hasan remained an influential but polarizing figure in Pakistan sports despite attempts by the state-run Pakistan Sports Board and government officials to oust him in the last few years.

He even overcame an internal coup in the POA engineered by the PSB and managed to sideline a parallel group headed by another strong retired military official.

Critics have generally dubbed Hasan's tenure as a period when Pakistan sports didn't move forward like in other Asian countries as the athletes didn't show any progress in Asian or World events.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)