Karachi Olympics-2040!
Top sportspersons join hands to light the torch at one of the islands off Karachi harbour as fireworks at the newly-built stadium go off along with hundreds of doves set free as the grip on thousands of green and white balloons is loosened setting them afloat into the air. Welcome to Karachi Olympics-2040!
Being a ridiculously optimistic patriot, although a little unrealistic one maybe, I happen to be one of those who always want to see my country and my city prosper and be among the best economies of the world. I will not give up on this dream.
Just think about it. Wouldn’t it be great if 25 years from now an older version of the younger breed of Pakistani politicians today declare the Olympic Games open? It might be any of the Bhutto-Zardaris, Maryam or Hamza Sharif, someone from PTI, if it is still around then, or any Chief of the Army Staff surrounded by thousands of athletes from all over the world. It can even be Malala Yousafzai for that matter.
If we can’t go to the Olympics, the Olympic Games must come to us!
The torch relay would be run by local greats from boxers, football, hockey, squash, cricket, snooker, tennis, swimmers, cyclists and donkey cart riders.
Karachi by then would be a city of skyscrapers and especially for the Olympics it would have seen much construction for the development of an Olympic city somewhere on reclaimed land from the sea.
Okay snap out of it! … It’s time for a reality check. Regardless of how much we would love to see our beloved country and largest city host the most respected mega sporting event of the world, the truth is that it is not so simple and easy as dreaming about it may be.
Even if we are able to get rid of the demons of terrorism, sectarian issues and corruption there would be another two huge challenges left to be overcome in order to make this a reality — management skills and ample flow of monetary resources.