Pakistan Olympic Association
The Pakistan Olympic Association, is the national Olympic organisation in Pakistan. It was established in 1948 to oversee the active participation of the newly independent state at the Olympiad. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the country's founder and first Governor-General, became the patron-in-chief of the new institution, and Ahmed E.H. Jaffar became its first President.
Over the years, the association has been responsible for fundraising and setting up the management of delegations for the Olympic Games. As an NOC, the association is the first contact point for the International Olympic Committee. Some of its members are also active participants in various management activities at the IOC. Within the country, the association remains the oldest sports body. It was the premier regulator of sports activities in Pakistan from 1948 until the establishment of Pakistan Sports Board in 1962.
The Association continues to develop programmes in co-ordination with its affiliated bodies to promote sports at various levels. It is also responsible for Pakistan's representation at the Commonwealth Games and organising the annual National Games.
Recognition
After the independence of the country from the British Raj on 14 August 1947, the need was immediately realised to promote the culture of sports within the country and ensure wider participation and recognition at international level. In this respect, POA was affiliated by the International Olympic Committee in 1948. Subsequently, it also became a member of the Association of National Olympic Committees and the Olympic Council of Asia.POA Presidents
List of presidents is given below:| Name | Tenure |
| Ahmad E. H. Jaffer | 25 February 1949 – 27 February 1950 |
| Malik Ghulam Muhammad | 27 February 1950 – 5 November 1951 |
| Abdur Rab Nishtar | 5 November 1951 – 21 August 1955 |
| Chaudhry Mohammad Ali | 21 August 1955 – September 1956 |
| Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy | September 1956 – 6 March 1958 |
| Feroz Khan Noon | 16 March 1958 – 16 November 1958 |
| Muhammad Azam Khan | 16 November 1958 – 22 September 1963 |
| Rana Abdul Hamid Khan | 22 September 1963 – 3 April 1972 |
| Malik Meraj Khalid | 3 April 1972 – November 1977 |
| Syed Wajid Ali | 3 March 1978 – 11 March 2004 |
| Syed Arif Hasan | 11 March 2004 – 1 January 2024 |
| Syed Muhammad Abid Qadri Gilani | 2 January 2024 - present |
Affiliated associations
The association controls its memberships through the working of its Affiliation and Constitution Committee, which is composed of the provincial sports bodies and POA officials. The following are the major sports federations and associations affiliated with the POA:Provincial Olympic Associations
- Balochistan Olympic Association
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association
- Punjab Olympic Association
- Sindh Olympic Association
- Kashmir Olympic Association
Services organisations
- Pakistan Army
- Pakistan Navy
- Pakistan Air Force
- Pakistan Railways
- Pakistan Police
- Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA)
- Higher Education Commission (HEC)
National sports federations
Others
The following are the federations of sports not considered by the IOC as a 'sport':| Sport | National Federation |
| Bodybuilding | Pakistan Bodybuilding Federation |
| Ball hockey | Pakistan Street and Ball Hockey Federation |
| Darts | Pakistan Darts Federation |
| Fishing | Pakistan Game Fishing Association |
| Fistball | Pakistan Fistball Federation |
| Ju-jitsu | Pakistan Ju-Jitsu Federation |
| Kabaddi | Pakistan Kabaddi Federation |