STANDING UP FOR THE ATHLETES

Pakistan is on the verge of celebrating 76 years since its first-ever National Games. Held in April 1948, 140 participants from across the newly formed country came together to compete in the National Games. The year was also marked by Pakistan making its first appearance at the London Olympics.

Over seven decades, Pakistan has produced outstanding athletes across various sports. From the 30-year reign of the Khans in squash to Sohail Abbas’s hundreds of goals in hockey, Pakistani athletes have made the nation proud, despite challenging times and conditions. The recent successes of athletes such as javelin-thrower Arshad Nadeem, weightlifter Nooh Dastagir Butt and squash player Hamza Khan on the world stage demonstrate the continued potential of Pakistani sportspeople, even with limited support.

The national conversation around sports in the country often revolves around their administrative challenges, funding issues, and the issues faced by sporting bodies, but rarely around the athletes themselves. As the African proverb goes, “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” Similarly, the stories of the athletes will not be heard until we stand up for ourselves. This is what has compelled me to pen down my thoughts on the sports affairs of the country today.

As we reflect on Pakistan’s sporting journey, we find an impressive track record of 10 Olympic medals, 42 Commonwealth Games medals, and 207 Asian Games medals. These achievements are remarkable for a young country whose short history has been marred by political instability.

One of Pakistan’s most well-known squash players speaks her mind about sports affairs and the challenges facing athletes in the country

However, the credit for these successes is often given to the authorities, who have done little to support the athletes or ease their struggles. The athletes, whose performances greatly outweigh the quality of resources made accessible to them, are still left to fend for themselves.

Looking at the past two decades, Pakistan’s sports budget has fluctuated, starting with Rs433.7 million ($7.5 million) in 2003, then decreasing and increasing over the years. In 2020-2021, the budget was Rs929.492 million ($5.7 million). We see that the budget has actually decreased (in terms of US dollars) over the years.

And while there have been talent hunt programmes and policies, such as the 2001 sports policy and ratification of the International Olympic Committee charter (revised in 2005) of no political interference in sports, these measures, so far, have just been confined to paper, with little or no material change on the ground.

It is often said that Pakistan’s performance in international sporting competitions does not align with its population or economic potential. While this may be true, a deeper look easily shows why this might be the case. The athletes’ daily lives are full of unnecessary challenges, such as a lack of training facilities, and a struggle to fund their basic needs, such as daily nutrition, supplements, suitable gear and other equipment.

All of this continues while administrative officers are paid high remunerations, with luxurious amenities, such as access to cars. On the other hand, the athletes often struggle even to cover their transport and health insurance. These financial challenges have been further amplified by the recent inflation.

All of this has resulted in decreased participation by Pakistani sportspersons in international competitions, as the athletes have to rely on non-standard sources of funding, such as crowdfunding and even loans. The financial challenges are faced by coaches as well, who have now started to migrate out of Pakistan for an opportunity to be valued for their talent and skill set.

Public criticism is often relentless and uninformed. While immediate media attention and public interest is given to the athletes when they succeed, their daily struggles are dismissed and neglected when they are not able to perform beyond the quality of the resources given to them. This can exact a significant mental toll on the athletes, who are then under even more pressure to perform well in future competitions. Additionally, if the athletes try to speak up about their conditions, they are shunned and harassed.

Sports has always had under-appreciated positive impacts on a society. In Pakistan, where religious, sectarian, ethnic and communal rifts can often divide people, sports has the unique quality of unifying all into a single community of athletes.

Additionally, sportspeople such as cricketers Ihsanullah, Naseem Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Imran Sr, Wasim Jr, Nasir Iqbal and Shaheen Afridi and squash player Maria Toor have countered the negative narratives built in the media about their regions, and have highlighted the passion, kindness and talent that lies within the people of the erstwhile Fata and Pata, among others.

Similarly, the efforts of athletes such as cricketers Javeria Khan and Sana Mir, karateka Kulsoom Hazara, mountaineer Naila Kiani, and others have also paved the way for future generations of female athletes to break cultural and regional barriers, while representing the country in a positive manner.

Additionally, the efforts of cricketer Babar Azam, Arshad Nadeem, squash player Noor Zaman and others to showcase the failures of our sporting structure and the everyday struggle of athletes has been invaluable. The resilience and strength shown by Pakistani athletes can, in fact, inspire the nation.

The choice for the future of Pakistani athletes and sports lies in the hands of the nation. It is up to us to decide whether to build a brighter future for our athletes, or to perpetuate a cycle of corruption, broken systems, harassment and unfaithful governance.

The decision we take will shape the legacy we leave behind for future generations.

The writer is one of Pakistan’s leading squash players, who came to the game after dabbling in cycling and cricket. She is also a consultant with the sports ministry of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.