ISLAMABAD, Feb 16 Pakistan's basketball team has touched its lowest regional ranking ever in the South Asian Games, inviting sharp criticism from the followers of the game.

The national team failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the South Asian Games recently held in Bangladesh while Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh clinched gold, silver and bronze medal respectively in the regional event. “It was one of the worst performances ever by a Pakistan basketball team at the regional level and a shock to the followers of the game,” Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board, Amir Hamza Gilani told Dawn on Tuesday.

Hamza, a former national shot-put athlete, added that the board had conveyed its reservations over the strength level of the team to the PBF officials prior to their departure. “The recent show by the basketball team has put a question mark over the performance of the Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBF) besides the fitness level of the team,” said Hamza. The game, he said, was losing its appeal in Pakistan after the disgraceful show in Bangladesh.

The PSB chief assured that “they will launch an enquiry into the poor faring of basketballers in SA Games.”

Meanwhile, sports analyst Amir Bilal added that affairs of PBF have gone from bad to worst under the current management, handled by secretary of the federation Col (r) Naseem Butt. “The wonderful game of basketball where Pakistan was once an Asian power house, has dipped to its lowest level due to the dismal show of the team in the Games,” observed Amir, himself a qualified basketball coach from International Olympic Association. “The PBF has no vision, no structure and programme to offer for the promotion of this game in education institutions and clubs.”

“In order to revive the sport it is mandatory that old hands like Brig (r) Rasheed Ali Malik should come forward and take over the reins of the PBF in Pakistan.”

The secretary PBF Col (r) Naseem Butt could not be contacted to get his version over the game's declining standards.