Pakistan returned home from the recently held Islamic Games, in Saudi Arabia, with three gold medals and a bronze. Sadly, they were all secured in tennis.
Pakistan competed in athletics, football, basketball, swimming, tennis, handball, table tennis, swimming, karate and taekwondo. Yet, it was only tennis that brought home the honours. However, more surprising is the sad fact that despite the poor showing, the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Sports, Senator Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal, who was also the Chief de Mission of the contingent, has so far initiated no plans to probe into the abject failure of the national federations in producing worldclass champions.
The Pakistani contingent comprised of a 140-member team.
Following the fiasco of the Games, press reports had quoted Senator Zafar who expressed his dissatisfaction over Pakistan’s performance. But, still no investigation.
Pakistan’s aim is the Asian Games, to be held next year. But if we cannot even make our mark in the Islamic Games, then one can guess the results our athletes will produce in 2006. Even the SAF Games, that have been part of our sports itinerary since 1984, have been dominated by India. These games were instituted for the promotion of sports in the SAARC countries (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Afghanistan).
How long before we stop sending substandard athletes, to international events and end the wastage of public money, is anybody’s guess. The Senate committee has already probed into the Pakistan Sports Board’s affairs, soon after last year’s home series against India. That was later followed by a probe in hockey’s affairs, though late, following the disappointing performance at Athens. However, the Senate committee has yet to hold an inquiry into Pakistan’s poor showing in the Olympic’s boxing event. One should remember that the Pakistan Boxing Federation was awarded the highest ever grant, worth Rs10 million, for preparing the boxers for the Athens Games.
The pick and choose policy of the Senate committee in probing the affairs of the national federations seems to be unfair and unjustified. There should be accountability of all the federations without any discrimination otherwise the Senate committee might not achieve the goals of getting the national sports on the right track.
The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has already failed to make their affiliated federations work for the promotion of sports in every part of the country. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) too has not come up to the expectation of the nation. Therefore, people are now entertaining hopes that the Senate Standing Committee on Sports will play its effective role in making the federations accountable for their actions.
It is generally said in sports circle that it would have been much better had the Senate Committee Chairman, not have accepted to become the Chief de Mission of the Pakistani contingent for the Islamic Solidarity Games.
Let the Senate committee remain an independent body for holding probe into all the federations.
