The Enterprise category in sailing has been omitted from the Qatar Asian Games, making life a tad difficult for Pakistani sailors
Enterprise sailing boat, which remained Pakistan’s hallmark during Asian games for a quarter of a century (1978-2002), has been omitted from the Qatar Asian Games to be held next year.
Though the news came as a big surprise to the sailing fraternity in the country, at the same time the organizers opted to include those boats in the competition that are sailed at the Olympics.
It may be mentioned that Enterprise, a two-man boat, used to sail in the region and not at the Olympics. A couple of world enterprise regattas have also been organized in the past.
History shows that yachting became the medal sport in the Asian Games held at Bangkok in 1970. At that time sports activities at home were limited and it was a passion only for few Parsis and naval sailors.
Pakistan, however, made its presence felt when the Asian Games again took place at Bangkok in 1978. The two-man team, comprising Byram Avari and Munir Sadiq, entered the event on their own without any government support, and returned with flying colours in the Enterprise class in their very first attempt.
This came as an eye-opener to all and sundry and the sport finally received official recognition from the government.
A lot of development took place in the next four year and the bottom line was that Byram successfully defended his gold at Delhi not with his previous partner but with his wife, Goshpi. This time Munir was there as a reserve.
By performing the feat, Goshpi also became the first woman of the country to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games. The couple later called it a day.
The Munir-Zakaullah pair spearheaded Pakistan’s participation in the next two Asian Games at Seoul and Beijing and did the country proud by securing gold medals in two successive games.
By then Pakistan had set a good precedent with their stranglehold on the Enterprise class at the Asian Games.
The Hiroshima games witnessed Pakistan’s 16-year-old gold medal monopoly coming to a halt when the brothers’ pair of Munir and Mamoon was beaten to second place.
Once slipped to the runners up slot, Pakistan maintained it for the second time running, neither going up nor down, again at Bangkok and the two men who had brought the medal home were Munir and Mamoon.
A new pair of Shehryar and Riaz was groomed for Busan and the two did the needful by capturing the silver. The former has all the abilities and has proved his mettle time and again. He is the most experienced sailor amongst the lot.
Pakistan now faces an uphill task from giants like China, Japan and Korea apart from India, in their bid to clinch at least a single medal. The Pakistan Sailing Federation (PSAF), the games controlling body in the country, has picked eight out of the 12 classes of boats for participation in the Qatar Asian Games to be held in December 2006.
The selected boats are 470 (men), Laser Standard, Laser Radial, Mistral Heavy Men, Hobie Cat, Match Racing and Optimist (boys and girls).
The four boats which have been left out are 470 (women), Mistral Light, Laser (women) and 420 (youth).
Pakistan’s prospects in the 2006 Asian Games will be known when the cream of sailors would compete against each other in the pre-Asian regatta being held at Qatar from Jan 12 to 21 next.
The pre-Asian regatta is organized at the Asian Games venue at least a year earlier and serves as a curtain-raiser to the quadrennial games.
In this regard, the PSAF secretary, Capt (retd) S. V. Hasan, who has assumed his office on July 1, is optimistic and believes he can guarantee a medal provided the government set aside a sum of Rs14 million for preparation which includes participation in at least eight international regattas in the European circuit under the guidance of a foreign coach next year, and purchase of two boats of each class.
The career situation
The Navy and sailing are synonymous all over the world. The sport is not attracting young naval sailors in the country as they see no charm in donning the green blazer by sacrificing their departmental promotions.
There was a time when young lieutenants used to throng the PN Aquatic Club and naval base Manora at the harbour with the eagerness to learn the basics of the sport in their spare time. That kept the ball rolling for over three decades.
The situation has reversed lately and the principal reason behind the lack of participation is that their superiors who opted for the sport were shown the door after being superseded by junior officers, an official of Pakistan Sailing Federation (PSAF) told Dawn Magazine.
Those who preferred the sport have met their Waterloo while a couple of others whose first priority were their profession, were still in uniform and reached up to the rank of commodore.
K. M. Akhtar, who clinched a gold medal at the 1982 Asian Games in O.K Dinghy class, was the only naval sailor in the country to date to have reached the rank of rear admiral.
Arshad, Munir Sadiq, S. V. Hasan could not go beyond the rank of captain while Cdr Javed Rasool and Lt Cdr Mamoon Sadiq have been superseded recently, which would bring their professional career to an end. — A.Z
Gold is old
Pakistan’s achievement in the Enterprise class at the Asian Games
1978 Bangkok Gold Byram Avari-S. Lt Munir Sadiq
1982 Delhi Gold Byram Avari-Goshpi Avari
1986 Seoul Gold Lt Zakaullah- Lt Munir Sadiq
1990 Beijing Gold Lt Cdr. Zakaullah- Lt Cdr.Munir Sadiq
1994 Hiroshima Silver Cdr Munir Sadiq- Lt Mamoon Sadiq
1998 Bangkok Silver Capt Munir Sadiq- Lt Cdr Mamoon Sadiq
Enterprise sailing boat, which remained Pakistan’s hallmark during Asian games for a quarter of a century (1978-2002), has been omitted from the Qatar Asian Games to be held next year.
