Last week, the international swimming pool was inaugurated at the Nishtar Sports Complex after a nine years delay.

Former Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had announced the project in last days of his tenure in 2007. After his departure, the project was in the doldrums as the government of CM Shahbaz Sharif did not give any serious attention to the project.

It is first swimming pool built by the government in the province. Anyhow, hopefully, now the management of the Sports Board Punjab will make better use of the pool to produce world-class swimmers.

A snooker club, a theatre, cafeteria are the other facilities available in the pool for the members. The membership is open for the pool. It has temperature control system and water filter plants.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the pool. Head of Punjab Sports Steering Committee Hanif Abbasi demanded of the CM to regularise the services of 70 contractual staff of the sports board during the inauguration of the pool. Instead of issuing the order on the spot, the CM asked that first a policy on merit should be made for the regularisation.

Two races of 50 metres in breast stroke and freestyle for the boys were also held. Former Test cricketers Intikhab Alam, Zaheer Abbas, hockey player Akhtar Rasool Chaudhry and Khawaja Junaid also attended the ceremony.

After a long time, an international hockey festivity started in Pakistan as the World-XI team is playing a two match series against Pakistan Under-18 team.

Though it is a short gala, comprising two matches, hopefully it will attract the hockey fans.

The first match was played in Karachi last week, before almost empty Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium. Pakistan lost it with 1-5 margin. For the second match, the World XI, comprising on seasoned hockey players from Australia, Holland, Spain, and Argentina, have reached Lahore to play it on Sunday at the National Hockey Stadium. In Lahore, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is expecting a sizable crowed. But the tight security around the entire Nishtar Sports Complex may not be a friendly move to give easy access to the fans.

Pakistan top penalty corner expert Sohail Abbas is also playing for the World XI.

Among prominent international players, from Netherlands Rob Reckers a veteran of 209 international matches, Roderick Weusthof, (79 international matches), Matthijs Brouwer (211 matches and 68 goals), Olympian Hiddi Turkstra (a younger player), Philip Meulenbroek, from New Zealand are Olympians Phillip Burrows (343 matches) and Kyle Pontifex, from Spain their former captain Santi Freixa, Roc Oliva, David Alegre and David Alegre. Olympians Grant Schubert is from Australia, from Germany Benni Wess and Justus Scharowsky and from Argentina are Aguistin Bugallo and Diego Paz, besides Sohail Abbas (Pakistan).

Pakistan lost a great sports organiser Syed Khawar Shah, president of the Pakistan Federation Baseball and former Director General of Sports Board Punjab. Khawar Shah died at a local hospital after a short illness. He was 68. As DG Sports Board Punjab, Khawar served in 2004 and took bold steps to build sports infrastructure in Punjab. Khawar also introduced the baseball game in Pakistan in 1992 and he worked very hard to support the game in the country.

Till his last breath, he remained associated with the baseball game. Currently, Pakistan have attained 24th position in the world ranking amid 150 countries. At Asia level Pakistan stands at a very impressive position of 5th amid 44 countries. Only world three top nations Japan, Taiwan and South Korea are ahead of Pakistan, besides China, which stands at the 4th place in Asia. At the South Asian level, Pakistan is no.1 leaving behind India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Nepal.

Last month, Khawar had achieved another milestone of organising first Indo-Pak baseball series at the neutral venue of Dubai. His last sporting activity was the participation of the baseball game in the Inter-provincial Youth Games held in Islamabad from Dec 26 to 31. During the game he suffered from a severe attack of phenomena and failed to recover.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2018