The youth of Lyari, particularly sportspersons, are paying a heavy price for the turf war that has over-shadowed the positive face of the locality. They are going through a dilemma after a stigma has been affixed on them.

Already perturbed with the closure of sports sections in a number of financial institutions and other departments, the youth of Lyari are finding it difficult to support their families and make ends meet.

Lyari, as we know, has a rich history of boxing, football and cycling. The forefathers of the present generation have done the nation proud by bringing numerous laurels to the nation after Pakistan got independence.

“It’s need of the hour to provide sportspersons at least contractual jobs to take them out of poverty.” This was the consensus of an informal get together of eminent sports personalities in a peaceful atmosphere at the 1940-built Lyari Labour Welfare Centre (LLWC) on May 17. This correspondent visited the LLWC from 10pm to 12am at a special invitation which proves that normalcy has returned to the vicinity.

It is pertinent to mention that LLWC also houses a boxing club named after Ustad Sattoo, the man who is said to have brought Prof Anwar Chowdhry in the game much before he rose to heights and ruled International Boxing Federation (AIBA).

The personalities who shared the views include 1972 Munich Olympian Malang Baloch, LLWC president Abid Hussain Brohi, Sindh Boxing Association (SBA) secretary Asghar Baloch, Karachi South Football Association president Gulab Baloch, Sindh Boxing Referees and Judges Commission Chairman Ustad Abdul Ghani Darvesh and a former Lyari MPA Haji Babu Ghulam Hussain.

The elderly Malang Baloch had won a bronze in light welter-weight division of boxing at the Munich Games. Almost 16 years later Syed Hussain Shah, also a native of Lyari, equalled Malang’s feat by capturing a bronze in middleweight (75 kg) at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Narrating ordeal of a young man, a participant said that he had no words to pacify the former after he was denied a job for being a Lyariite. “I calmed him down as he was desperate to put all his educational certificates on fire,” he added.

With tears in his eyes, another participant said he had lost his son who resisted a mugging attempt outside his house in the area recently. “My son who had came from abroad on holidays was not involved in any criminal activities but was gunned downed,” he said.

We also walked from LLWC to Ath (eight) chowk, the roundabout that leads to eight streets. According to participants, one of the streets is famous for having largest number of hotels in Asia. Previously, buses to Quetta and Iran use to ply from that street which has been relocated.

“In normal days, the youth used to involve themselves in some sort of extra-curricular activities on streets every weekend but unfortunately power failure has compelled them to stay inside despite Saturday night,” quipped another participant.

“Departments like KPT, K-Electric, Sindh Government Press, Karachi Railways and of course, banks, have either curtailed employment of sportspersons or closed the sports departments,” said another gentleman while narrating the apathy.

It would be wise that Karachi Commissioner, Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, who is a sports-loving person, should take the lead by setting up an endowment fund for unemployed sportspersons of the city including those from Lyari to cater to their needs to some extent and giving them confidence.

After all, they are sons of the soil and it is the responsibility of the government to own them or in case of reversal poverty will lead to crime and the killings will continue unabated.

To begin with, the Commissioner should raise funds for the aforementioned scheme through government, businessmen and Rangers and initially pick 50 under-20 sportsmen from Lyari and other parts of the city and pay them stipend of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per month for a year.

The number of outstanding under-20 sportsmen could be doubled after a year depending on the financial health of the endowment fund.

When implemented, it is expected to bring a positive change in the society. Nations who preach sports make positive contribution to the society and are loved by all. This piece is a wake-up call for those who matter in the corridors of power.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2014