IT is a case of in with the old and out with the new — a decision widely hailed by Pakistan’s sports fraternity. This week, at a ceremony to honour Pakistani athletes who shone brightly at the recent Commonwealth and Islamic Solidarity Games, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the restoration of the departmental sports structure which had been abolished by the previous government. That structure had been in place since the late 1950s when public departments, corporations and other autonomous bodies formed their sports divisions and helped contribute towards Pakistan’s greatest sporting triumphs as, through permanent jobs, they gave athletes a secure financial future, allowing them to focus on their game. It’s a two-sided argument though. While the structure worked till the 1990s — with 1994 being the high point when Pakistan were world champions in cricket, hockey, squash and snooker — it has since gone stale. Opponents of the departmental structure argue that once players secure their future, the ambition to strive drops. It was with this in mind, and to professionalise sport, that the last government decided to stop departments and other organisations from funding their sports teams, and instead, to utilise those funds to promote regional teams. But there was no mechanism or road map to ease that transition.

Imran Khan’s government had already moved cricket to that system in 2019, changing the constitution of the PCB and forming six regions. It attracted backlash as many players lost their jobs. The move to shift to a regional system was more in line with the 18th Amendment which saw sports devolve to the provinces. However, a pathway was needed to do away with a decades-old system and to ensure athletes wouldn’t suffer. It couldn’t happen within a few months. The departmental structure, though, is still an impediment to uplifting potential at the grassroots level. Departments usually handpick athletes rather than working at the youth or age-group level. The question is: while the PM’s move may temporarily help athletes, how will it actually promote sports in the country?

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2022