LIKE every year this year too on the occasion of August 14 the President conferred civil awards on foreign and prominent local personalities for their meritorious services in various fields.

Amongst the sportsmen who received the award, there are three well-known cricketers, namely Younus Khan, Shahid Afridi and Shafqat Rana, who have been conferred upon the Pride of Performance Award.

It was nice to see that the government has also acknowledged Shafqat Rana, a test cricketer of yesteryear, for his commendable services to the game of cricket.

Besides being a former test player who represented Pakistan at home and abroad equally well, Shafqat Rana is now an expert cricket commentator, a columnist, a selector and a coach. At present he is running a cricket academy in Lahore and gives training to the budding cricketers.

According to a section of the press, he has said that if on the one hand he is grateful to the government for bestowing the prestigious civil award on him, he feels deeply indebted to the Parks and Horticulture Authority which extended every possible help in setting up the Shafqat Rana Cricket Academy in the Lahore city.

One hopes that in future too the government will continue acknowledging former sportsmen who have done remarkably well in their respective fields.

RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad