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Pakistan sports chiefs summoned over medals flop
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has summoned top sports chiefs to explain the country's poor performance at last month's Asian Games, an official said Friday.
The meeting scheduled for January 22 will be attended by Sports Minister Shamim Haider, Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) chief Arif Hasan and other officials, POA secretary Abdul Khalid Khan said.
Pakistan just managed a silver and three bronze medals in the Doha Games, far below from their one gold, six silvers and six bronzes won in Busan, South Korea in 2002.
Pakistan, once a powerhouse in world hockey, finished a poor third in the competition of the Doha Games, losing 2-1 loss to newcomers China in the semi-final.
POA chief Hasan, who also heads the Pakistan Sports Trust, raised millions of rupees (hundreds of thousands of dollars) through raffle schemes and hired foreign coaches for most of the 22 sports Pakistan took part in.
Pakistan's kabaddi team clinched the silver while the bronze medals came from field hockey, Wushu and squash.
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