By Zahid Farooq Malik
Secretary General, PSWF
ISLAMABAD, August 19, 2009 - "Sports are the only binding and unifying force that can uplift the soft image of Pakistan". This was the consensus view expressed by the participants of the two-day All Pakistan Sports Writers seminar which concluded here on Sunday at the Jinnah Hall on a high note. Both the young and the experienced reiterated their resolve to work with honesty and dedication while the officials pinpointed flaws and weaknesses of existing sports structure in the country.
On the opening day (Saturday August 15) Federal Minister for Sports Peer Aftab Jlani pledged to act on the feedback and recommendations he received from the seminar-cum-work shop organized by the Sports Writers Federation of Pakistan (SWFP). Aftab said it would be a bold, useful and productive step for journalists to point out and suggest the reforms that would help the Government to rectify the flaws in the sporting system.
President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Lt-Gen (retd) Arif Hasan while highlighting the role of media, said that Australia’s success story in sports was very much dependant on the invaluable and active role and support of the Australian media that yielded the desired results that made Australia a formidable force in the sporting world.
He said the media can play a greater role in the success of any country’s sports and it was with the help of media that the Australian success story was written. "When Australian sports hit the rock bottom in early 70s, the media played a vital role in inculcating the benefits of exercise and it helped children adopt sports," he told the seminar.
Former hockey Olympian Shahbaz Ahmad Senior requested the media representatives to give other sports as much importance and coverage as they do to cricket. "Cricket is not the only sport in the country. The media's excessive coverage of cricket left damaging affects on other sports," he said.
Brig Arif Saddique , former director general Pakistan Sports Board was of the opinion that the standard of Pakistani sports had not declined, rather that international athletes have raised the standard and the bar higher, something that Pakistani athletes could not catch up with.
NWFP Minister for Sports Aqil Shah highlighted the need of introducing sports into schools and colleges and offered the assistance of his government in this regard.
Famous tennis coach Mahbbob Khan narrated the difficulties a player and professional coach face in Pakistan. He demanded that national coaches be paid attractive salaries so that they can put in extra efforts .
On the second day of the seminar Ex Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board Zakir Hussain Sayed gave a detailed account on the rise and fall of Pakistan sports. He said that it was ironic that in Pakistan there is hardly the right man posted for the right job and that this "takes out the professionalism".
"There is a need for a professional to be in each positon," he said. Dr Akhter Ganjera, Deputy Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board also highlighted the Australia system and said he has a copy of the Rodham report.
Sports journalists Faheem Anwer Khan, Shakeel Ahmed Awan, Sardar Khan, Rashid Sidiqi, Abdul Jabbar Faisel also delivered lectures on different sports and various areas of sports journalism. President (PSWF) Amjed Aziz Malik and Secretary General Zahid Farooq Malik thanked all of the sports journalists and official for their attendance.The house regretted the absence of Director General of the Pakistan Sports board deliberately missing the seminar.
The new PSWF Executive Committee
President: Amjed Aziz Malik (NWFP)
Secretary General: Zahid Farooq Malik (ISLAMABAD)
Finance Secretary: Aamir Raza Khan (PUNJAB)
Senior Vice President: Sardar Khan (SINDH)
Vice Presidents: Shahid Sheikh (PUNJAB), Jahanzaib Ali (ISLAMABAD), Kashif u Din (NWFP), Muhammed Ajmel (BALOCHISTAN)
Joint Secretaries: Shakil Ahmed Awan (ISLAMABAD), Yousuf Anjum(PUNJAB), Tariq Aslam (BALOCHISTAN), and Ijaz Khan(NWFP)
Executive members: Abdul Jabar Faisal (ISLAMABAD), Azmet Ullha (NWFP), Alamzaib Safi (SINDH), and Nasim Yousfzai (BALOCHISTAN)
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