KARACHI: It wasn’t too long ago that a child in every household wanted to be a star cricketer. “I want to be a bowler like Wasim Akram,” or “I want to bat like Saeed Anwar,” were common phrases. However, with the deterioration of our national team, those phrases have changed.

Due to a dearth of bona fide sporting heroes, children and teens now look towards other sports to find athletes to idolise. And with the rise of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), names such as Conor McGregor, Georges St Pierre (GSP) and Anderson Silva are more likely to be heard now.

Gyms and trainers all across Karachi are providing training in the various forms of martial arts that MMA encompasses. Its brutal nature aside, this combat sport can be quite technical. Being aware of your surroundings and predicting your opponent’s next move requires fighters to train both physically and mentally.

K7 Fitness and Kickboxing Academy is one such gym where Jamil Chandio is hoping to nurture talent that can not only prosper in Pakistan but also challenge globally. In lieu of this ambition, K7 recently attracted Marcos “Santa Cruz” Oliveira, during his trip to Pakistan, to come and gauge the talent at its disposal. Oliveira, who is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo black belt, wrestler and mixed martial artist, has numerous titles to his name.

Apart from sampling, and loving, spicy Pakistani cuisine, the talent on display suitably impressed Oliveira.

Oliveira believes Pakistan is an undiscovered land when it comes to MMA. “Pakistan has one of the biggest potential talent pools for MMA in the world,” he said.

Coaching talent from across the world, Oliveira is of the impression that Pakistani fighters can win belts.

At the academy, training methods are developed, and customised, to appeal to men and women of varying ages seeking to get fighting fit, be it for personal development or professional aspirations. And Chandio hopes the establishment of Pakistan Top Team (PTT) and its affiliation with American Top Team (ATT) will benefit fighters across Pakistan.

“We have to first take care of the financial woes of fighters so they can focus on training and make us proud,” revealed Chandio. Thus, PTT and its affiliations will help fighters get sponsored to train and compete in tournaments which, Chandio believes, “will highlight the talent” at Pakistan’s disposal.

Female fortitude

The presence of PTT will also extend to female trainers as they look to establish themselves, along with the multitude of women in various disciplines across Pakistan. “We have [female] pilots; they’re in the army and in other sports. Then why neglect this sport?” questioned Anza Saqib, a trainer at the academy.

Ramisha Mir, who also trains at the facility, further elaborated: “We have over a hundred women who train … their ages range from pre-teens to sixties.”

Training under Chandio for three years, Mir will join Saqib in training women. Whether amateur or professional, Mir believes that PTT, K7 and other such institutions are providing an essential platform for women.

Saqib however, rued Pakistan’s failure to send female delegations to international sporting events. “We should focus on [sending females to international events] from various sports,” she said. “Sports are important for diplomacy.”

In Pakistan, where other sports are trying to fill the void left behind by the demise of hockey, squash and domestic cricket, MMA is gaining popularity. And with support from international institutions such as ATT and stars like Oliveira, local talent can look to consistently perform at international events. With enough domestic support and recognition, Pakistan has the opportunity to prop new sporting heroes onto absent podiums.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2016