IT must rank as a national tragedy — a seven-member contingent representing Pakistan at the Rio Olympics, with the national hockey team not even qualifying.

Critics and fans could well pronounce this Pakistan sports’ darkest hour, but for the rapidly plummeting standards that risk the country not featuring altogether at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

To put it succinctly, the sorry state of Pakistan sports today is best depicted by the paltry contingent in Rio.

It is not as if the sports administrators in the country had barely a few months to prepare for the Olympic challenge. Neither were the players pitch-forked suddenly into their roles for the extravaganza.

Instead of putting together the best possible combinations, working out strategies and ironing out player deficiencies for Rio, the Pakistan Olympic Association for the most part of four years remained engaged in a legitimacy battle with a parallel body that had no more than nuisance value to show for it.

POA’s apathy was equally reflected in the corridors of power as the government too did not show any sense of urgency in resolving the dispute or the will to remove the incompetent officials.

Weak infrastructure, lack of stars, doping problems, substandard coaches, an illogical domestic calendar, dwindling sponsorship money and the ever-shrinking national circuit have left Pakistan sports in poor shape.

It is little wonder that Pakistan has not won a medal at the Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The national hockey team, once a major medal hope for the country at the Games with eight medals to show so far, including three gold, has reached its nadir by failing to qualify for Rio.

The cupboard is hopelessly bare in boxing, athletics, wrestling and other sports as well whereas their respective federations and officials continue to enjoy multiple terms in office.

The power struggle within Pakistan sports is highlighted by the fact that as many as 17 officials have accompanied the seven athletes to Rio. One can only bemoan the lack of direction and the will to improve in a system bereft of soul-searching and accountability.

Moreover, there is no one in sight to inspire confidence or adopt revolutionary measures to address the rot.

However, if the reaction among fans and in the media is anything to go by, the government and joy-riding officials will soon find it difficult to deflect the wave of antipathy from a public deeply disappointed with the Olympic flop.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2016