Pakistan Olympic Association elects Arif Saeed as new president for 2025-2029 term

After being led by just two presidents over the past 46 years, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has elected Arif Saeed as its new president for the 2025-2029 term.

Arif’s unopposed election follows the resignation of Lt. General (retd) Arif Hasan in January 2024 due to health reasons. Hasan had served as president from March 2004 to December 2024, succeeding the late Wajid Ali Shah, who led the POA from March 1978 to March 2004, becoming the longest-serving sports official in Pakistan.

Both Shah and Hasan were influential yet polarizing figures in Pakistan's sports scene. While Shah maintained a good relationship with the state-controlled Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the Ministry of Sports, Hasan had several run-ins with these entities during his final years in office.

At one stage, a parallel POA was formed with the backing of the PSB to force him to step down, but the body failed to gain recognition from the IOC.

Hasan was in his fourth term as president when he decided to resign.

Khalid Mahmood and Ahmar Malik were elected as secretary general and treasurer, respectively, of the new POA body under Arif Saeed, who contested the POA elections for the first time after serving as president of the Pakistan Rugby Union for over 20 years.

Khalid Mahmood, in his fourth consecutive term as POA secretary general, also serves as president of the Pakistan Boxing Federation. Ahmar Malik, president of the Pakistan Table Tennis Federation, is also making his first bid in the POA elections.

Pakistan won its first individual gold medal at the Paris Olympics this year, with javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem achieving the feat.

It was Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal in 40 years.