Squash legend Jahangir Khan and hockey stalwarts Islahuddin Siddiqi, Manzorul Hassan Senior, Mudassar Asghar and many other players, who have clinched medals in the Commonwealth and Asian games in the past, were in Lahore last week to attend a grand ceremony at the Hazuri Bagh, Lahore Fort, to welcome the Queen’s Baton Relay of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games-2018.

The games are being held in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4 to 15. The medalists of Commonwealth Games, Abdul Ghafoor (weightlifting), Muhammad Inam (wrestler) and Talha Talib (weightlifting) were also present.

Though Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was invited to the event as chief guest, he could not attend it and Punjab Sports Minister Jahangir Khanzada was represented him.

Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson also flew to Lahore from Islamabad to attend the grand ceremony. The baton had arrived in Lahore from Cyprus on Sept 29 but because of Muharram mourning days, no ceremony could be held immediately. After the Ashura, back-to-back ceremonies were held on last Monday. The first was held at Hazuri Bagh and the second in a renowned private school. The baton left Pakistan for India on Oct 3 for its next destination.

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president retired Lt-Gen Arif Hasan, secretary Khalid Mahmood, Sports Board of Punjab Director-General Zulfiqar Ghumman and Sports Department secretary Nayyer Iqbal also attended the ceremony. The event brought together after many years both the POA and the Punjab government. Since 2012, the government has been at a distance from the POA activities over the issues, such as the implementation of the National Sports Policy. But in 2015, the dispute was resolved when the International Olympic Committee was about to suspend Pakistan’s membership because of the interference of the government in the affairs of the POA.

After completing the tour of 52 countries, the baton will land in Gold Coast, Australia, in April. The most missing personality on this occasion was the mayor of Lahore.

The last week, SBP Director-General Zulifqar Ghumman and Secretary Nayyer Iqbal were transferred. Their successor is Aamir Jan, who is currently performing as the Gujranwala deputy commissioner. He holds the charge of both the secretary and the director general.

It means Mr Jan will be a powerful boss. In the past, the Punjab government, instead of serving the cause of sports people, has been using the SBP as a political tool. First, the SBP was used for a youth festival, which did not serve the real cause of sports. In the last couple of years, no valuable sporting activities were conducted for the government would say it was focusing more on the expansion of the sports infrastructure in the province. Hardly any stadium was inaugurated in the last three years. Even the much delayed International Swimming Pool and Tennis Complex at the Gaddafi Stadium could not be inaugurated formally, even after the passage of nine years.

The SBP, for the last three years, has also been promoting cricket, which is not in its domain. Since the Pakistan Cricket Board, the cash rich body of the country, is spending huge money on Under-16, U-19, inter-school and inter-club cricket programmes, the SBP should not spend much from its kitty on the promotion of cricket. Instead, it should serve the athletes of other neglected sports like athletics, badminton, boxing, tennis, swimming, karate, judo and many others.

The Lahore Region Cricket Association’s two teams - Blues and Whites - are contesting in the premier domestic event of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, which is being held across the country under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board. At the end of the second round, the Lahore Blues stand at the third place in Pool-A with 10 points, followed by SSGC and Wapda. In Pool-B, the Whites are struggling at the fourth place with nine points. In the tough tournament, the regional teams have to compete against the more professional and strong departmental teams like United Bank, Habib Bank, Khan Research Laboratories, the SNGPL, National Bank, the PTV besides Wapda and the SSGC.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2017