The Karachi Port Trust may have driven the final nail in the coffin by closing Chinna Creak to rowing activities

THE activities of the Sindh rowing as well as those of the canoeing association have virtually come to a halt at Chinna Creek as the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has taken over possession of the Merchant Navy Club following the expiry of its lease. And there seems no chance of revival as work to convert the place into a modern clubhouse has already begun.

KPT engineers, who were only following orders, have already dismantled the pontoon that was laid only a few days back by Pakistan Navy, without serving any notice to the concerned party. A visit to the site shows the expensive pontoon now lying on the ground and has probably even damaged. Previously as well, it was the Navy that had donated a pontoon.

Built at a cost of approximately Rs350,000 at the PN Dockyard, the pontoon was a gift from Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Shahid Karimullah, as the place is often used by naval oarsmen and canoeists for training and competition.

KPT, it may be mentioned, had previously been a leading patron of water sports (rowing) by not only providing a piece of land on the water front but at the same it time raised a team by giving employment to talented oarsmen.

However, the pioneer of water sports in the country was one Mrs. Ulrike Agne Qureshi, the founding secretary of Sindh Rowing Association (SRA). It was she who so long age, convinced the then KPT Chairman, Rear Admiral (retd.) M.I. Arshad to come forward and help develop the sport. Since, for almost quarter of a century, Chinna Creek has served to the cause of promoting the sport by arranging competitions at all levels including the nationals, besides producing several international players. Many other concerns too took lead from the KPT. Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), National Development Finance corporation (NDFC), Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), to name a few, followed the footsteps of the KPT and also formed rowing teams, teams, that now do not exist.

The German born Mrs. Qureshi, who was then employed at the German Consulate in Karachi, helped in getting donations and with the help of the German Consulate and the British High Commission, helped import boats for the purpose. She ran from pillar to post on an intensive fund raising drive in the beginning to set the ball rolling.

After the successful start of the rowing activities, canoeing also started at the venue after the formation of Canoeing Association of Pakistan (CAP) in 1993. Both the sports have in fact come a long way since.

From outdated country-made wooden boats to fibre-glass boats, there is a large fleet lying in the boat house. A number of good quality fibre-glass canoeing boats have been locally manufactured through the craftsmanship of Engineer Mahfoozul Haq, Secretary, Sindh Canoeing Association. However, things look bleak at the moment.

Following the development, Secretary SRA has drawn the attention of the KPT Chairman, highlighting the salient features of the association, besides seeking time with a view to personally apprise him about the role it had played for the promotion of the sport.

In the latest move, however, the premises have been sealed by officials of the estate department, KPT, who have also deployed guards around it thus denying access to the oarsmen/canoeists and concerned people. The KPT has also started reclaiming and filling some area of the Chinna Creek.

It will be in the fitness of things that the KPT which has a long history of patronizing sports should continue its blessings to the above two sports in the larger national interest. In the case of reversal, the sport would die and all efforts will go in vain.

The KPT has ample land on the belt of Chinna Creek and can provide an alternate base with a place to build a boat shed, either behind the parking lot of the PNSC building or somewhere else. It will be a great service by Vice Admiral Ahmed Hayat.

 

‘Facilities will be removed’

“Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has embarked on a multi-million rupee port club project at the site of the Merchant Navy Club on Chinna Creek following the expiry of the latter’s lease,” a spokesman of the KPT confided to Dawn Magazine. “The land belongs to KPT and it has taken back its physical possession,” he added.

When his attention was drawn towards the rowing and canoeing facilities that existed at the Chinna Creek and used by the respective provincial associations, he said, “The KPT engineering department was supervising the work and the facilities will be removed as they are not included in the master plan.”—A.Z.