The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has taken strong exception to what it termed a “misleading” claim by the Pakistan Netball Federation (PNF) that the national youth girls’ team secured first position at the Asian Youth Netball Championship 2025 in South Korea, seeking a written explanation within three days and warning that failure to respond could lead to further action.
In an official letter issued on Sunday, the PSB referred to a communication from the PNF dated July 9, 2025, in which the federation claimed a first-place finish. The PSB stated that the wording of the letter appeared to imply a gold medal victory, potentially creating a misleading impression of the team’s performance.
The Board further noted that PNF Chairman Mudassar Razzaq Arain reinforced this narrative in televised interviews, explicitly referring to a “gold medal” win and thanking senior government officials for their recognition. A viral clip of one such interview was also cited in the notice.
Read More: Pakistan wins Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship by beating Maldives
According to the PSB, the claim was subsequently used by the federation to apply for cash rewards under the 2024 Cash Award Policy, prompting official commendation and recognition at government level.
The PSB has instructed the Netball Federation to submit a detailed written explanation within three days. It warned that failure to comply would result in the matter being escalated to the relevant authorities for further action.
Copies of the notice have been dispatched to the federal ministers concerned, the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, the Secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, and the President of the Pakistan Olympic Association.
In response to the controversy, PNF Chairman Mudassar Razzaq Arain released a video statement in which he said the Sports Board may have misunderstood the situation.
He maintained that the President of Asian Netball personally awarded medals to the Pakistani team for securing first position in their respective category, and clarified that the PSB had not extended any financial support for the team’s participation in the event.
Also Read: Netball victory
Arain suggested that the Board may have been offended by one of his earlier remarks, using it as a pretext to issue the explanatory notice. “We will soon hold a press conference to present all the facts,” he said.
Pakistan capped an unbeaten run last week to win the Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship, defeating the Maldives 60-35 in the Plate Group final.
Shabash 👏🏻
Pakistan 🇵🇰 wins the Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship 2025.A proud moment for the entire nation and yet another great milestone for 🇵🇰women in sports!
Special appreciation for staying undefeated throughout the tournament!
Very well played!— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 4, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the team on their victory, terming it a proud moment for the nation and a significant milestone for women in sports.
It must be mentioned here that the PSB had disbursed sizeable grants to 22 sports federation earlier this month but chose to snub the PNF for reasons best known to it.