The duel meets between Olympian and Asian clubs were exciting to watch. The athletes including women, used to fight for each and every point in healthy competitions in the Karachi Athletic Championships.

The sports culture was at its peak then. For decade after decade, the athletes of both the clubs turned up in large numbers for regular practice at three venues of the city — the YMCA, Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium (Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium) and National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC).

Webb ground and BVS ground, both have been encroached upon now, in Abysenia Lines have standard 400m tracks and used to serve as venues in addition to the above ones.

Former triple jumper Masroor Ali Khan aka Ustad, a learnered man and director in State Bank of Pakistan, was the motivating force behind Olympian Club and his team among others includes DSP Abid Hussain, a middle distance international athlete, shot-putter Iftikhar Hussain, international pole vaulter Arshad Saleem, Kaleemullah Farooqui and Michael Gomes. Noted hockey coach Shabih Abbas was also part of the think tank.

The Asian Club was supported by Masood A. Shaikh who owned posh and now defunct Imperial Hotel on M. T. Khan Road. He was a promoter of shooting ball also. His son Mahmood Shaikh carried forward his father’s legacy for some time before moving to Lahore for good.

The athletes used to train under the umbrella of former international athlete and trainer Mohammad Talib, who is also the founder of Athletic Fitness School (AFS) in 1977. Then there was Prof A.M. Farid, an eminent educationist who was a pillar of strength. He had a passion for announcement and and was seen giving first, second and final calls on the mike in most of the meets.

DJ Science College’s long-serving Director Physical Education (DPE), Prof. Abdul Latif Khokhar, DPE Intermediate Board Hamid Ali Ansari and Jalaluddin Jami were also in the same camp.

YMCA too, had played a laudable role and its successive secretaries George Das, Wilburn Bede and Zafar J. Shakti left an incredible mark in city’s sports history. The contribution of two Sports secretaries Riaz Ahmed and Sadiq Wahabuddin, and honorary coach Joel Andrews was also commendable.

Then education and sports were synonymous as both come under one ministry — education, sports, culture and tourism. There was a charm for athletes to get admissions on the sports basis in colleges and universities. A large number of them who graduated from the NED University couldn’t even think otherwise.

Naseem Usman Nagi, DPE of Sir Syed Girls College, was a regular at YMCA with her husband Usman, a former athlete.

Elderly Arshad Saleem’s three siblings Tariq, Hamid and Zafar followed him and excelled in pole vault. Unfortunately, the latter two died young. Arshad had imported fiberglass pole, perhaps, the first in the country, before that, wooden pole was used.

Many city athletes rose to heights namely Fastest Man of Pakistan John Permal, Ali Kamani, Zafar Ibn Yaqoob, Noor-ul-Hasan, Naseeb Gul, Mehboob Dawood, Meesaq Rizvi, Ali Haider, and Tariq Gujjar among others. Noor had the distinction of getting double Pakistan colour at the 1974 Tehran Asian Games in athletics and volleyball.

Mehboob, now serving in Customs Appraisement, used to come on his sports bicycle from his residence in North Nazimabad to Nasra School from where he would come to YMCA for training in the afternoon.

There were many athletes who caught the eye at national level and some of them among others were Shamim Beg, Khurshid Zuberi, Shah Naeem Zafar, Gulraiz and Rasheed of the CMS School, Asif Christopher, who also donned volleyball colour, Idrees Khalid, Naeem Gul and Abrar Hameed, who is going through dialysis in the US these days.

Besides Permal, there were many Christian men and women athletes including Silvia d’Mello.

It was a herculean task for a civilian to don Pakistan colour because of immense competition and challenge from Army athletes.

The Athletic Federation of Pakistan, formerly Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation (PAAF) had for years played politics with Karachi by supporting parallel group who would toe their line.

Despite all odds, the athletes who shone at national and international level deserve praise. And so do the entire teams of dedicated officials. It is history now and I may be wrong but that golden time will not return.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2020

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