Karachi: First of all we should focus the security of the players as well as the spectators sitting in the stadiums. Unfortunately Acts of terrorism have been growing at an alarming rate globally. As far as international sports in Pakistan are concerned, we are facing a massive loss after a heartbreaking incident was occurred with Sri Lankan Cricket team in Lahore. The number of sports events has rapidly decreased and the country has been deprived of billions of rupees on account of sponsorship. For example, Pakistan lost the chance to host Asia-Oceania Zone group two Davis Cup ties against Oman (March 6 – 8) and Philippines (July 10 -12) on security grounds. We also lost the opportunity to host an international squash event, a table tennis event and a sailing regatta to name a few. Recently ICC excluded Pakistan from the host countries of Cricket Word Cup.
People related to different sports are of the view that inviting any foreign team or player, at the moment is similar to asking for the moon. They argue that if even parents hesitate to send their children to compete in domestic events, we cannot expect foreigners to undertake a trip to Pakistan. As a result, the graph of sports in Pakistan has already reached low ebb and urgently needs collective efforts for its revival.
Pakistan should accept ground realities and focus on increasing domestic activities in the larger national interest. On the one hand, the competition will keep players in a good form, while, on the other hand, they will be able to deliver the goods in global events.
Concerned authorities should, however, give full attention to fool-proof security measures even for domestic events in order to avoid any mishap. Even a minute´s lapse in security can destroy all efforts.
As some one who has been involved with sports, as a sportsman, a journalist or organizer, it is sad and painful to see the present situation. Pakistan has reached what seems like the lowest ebb in its history. The country had not taken long to make its mark in sports after independence. It took rapid strides despite facing many hurdles including poor financing, lack of infrastructure, proper organization and support. But somehow the country managed to produce world champions in some sports and certainly took lead at Asian level in some others. This came through the sheer determination of few highly spirited individuals who had the vision to lead and bring moments of joy and pride to the nation.
In this one can single out one man who stands tall and he is Air Marshal Nur Khan. He had the vision to give a lead to help bring laurels in Squash, Hockey and Cricket, his innovation and some of his ideas have been acknowledged on a global level. Others like Kh. Iftikhar of Tennis, Hafeez Kardar in Cricket, Prof. Anwar Chaudhry in Boxing, Sh. Zafar Ali as a pioneer in Pakistan Olympic Association, A.I.S. Dara in Hockey, Brig. Rodhm and Major Hamid in athletics need special mention.
But where we stand now? Nowhere! It is because of several reasons. First the various sports bodies need complete overhand and change in their outlook and working. Then the governing body- Pakistan Sports Board- which has become a behemoth and unwieldy be restructured and not become a liability to eat up most of its funds on its huge establishment without doing anything worthwhile.
The sports bodies should be freed from official control and let them be run independently with professional management and to raise its own financing rather than looking for official grants. Pakistan Sports Board´s role should be re-defined. The practice of appointing Heads of Pakistan Olympic Association, Pakistan Hockey Federation, Pakistan Cricket Board, etc by Government should stop and let these be made through elections as done everywhere else in the world. I suggest let us consult some of the icons who are luckily still around like Nur Khan, Prof. Chaudhry, Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan, to be consulted besides other stake-holders including senior sportsmen, journalists, organizers to evolve a new policy to revamp the national sports. The present mockery of how sports are being run need to be radically changed. Pakistan can still stage a come back to reclaim its eminence but there is need to act without losing much more time.
Those who matter in the corridors of power should also evolve an effective marketing strategy to attract weaker teams and players for home series by offering lucrative prize money and incentives. Also, with international cricket out of the picture, this is a good time to focus on other sports that will bear fruit. We also need to take effective measures to improve the country´s image, sports wise. Last year, for example, the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) gathered players from across the World including India and China for two-leg ITF Pakistan Women´s Futures at Islamabad in the aftermath of the Mumbai incident. Although it seems a Herculean task yet, if achieved, it will go a long way in cleansing the image of the country. We can learn lessons from the past and remember that the spirit of Olympics did not die after the1972 Munich Games was marred by an ugly incident (the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes). The torch continued to glow bright.
Hockey, the national sport of Pakistan, has lost its flavour among the masses over the last decade. The reasons for the degeneration of hockey affairs are numerous, which have been highlighted off and on at various platforms. To revive the glory of Pakistan hockey, the management of hockey affairs will have to fight on two fronts simultaneously. The technical and tactical aspects of national hockey are already under focus. A pool of “Trained Senior Coaches” must be established who spread their newly acquired technical knowledge to the other coaches of country. Thus a chain of highly qualified coaches can be prepared to educate hockey youth on correct and modern lines.
The second and the most unattended front are the Marketing and Media aspects of field hockey promotion. There is a certain dearth of professionals in the field of sports marketing in our country in general and in hockey in particular. In the absence of a coherent sports culture and non-existence of professional based sports, it would not be easy to find professionals who fully understand the political, social and economic environments of sports industry. A common mistake which always occurs in such a situation is hiring of foreign experts, who despite having excellence in the concerned field are not fully aware of the above mentioned sports environments in our country. Such an expert should be able to understand the global and local sports structure and its trends, the knowledge of event management, logistical planning, and a sound understanding of corporate and individual sponsorship, relationship of tourism and hotel industry with sports and above all the capacity to hatch a detailed marketing plan. Till hockey is marketed along professional lines its chances of growing form the shadows of cricket popularity at the national level are remote.
The unexpected and unfortunate attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore left Pakistan cricket in shambles. Consequently Pakistan´s tour to Bangladesh has also been postponed. Currently Pakistan Cricket team is playing ODIs and Twenty 20 matches with Australia in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At this stage the PCB has a lot of challenges to meet. Their job has become increasingly difficult in the present scenario. Their officials deserve understanding at this point of time to perform their duties as it´s in the interest of whole country to have cricket revived.
Last year, over hundred people were killed in India through the Mumbai terrorist strikes and England returned three weeks later to finish the tour with ramped-up security. This is Double Standard? Is it for commercial reasons? Is it because India has more money than anyone in the cricketing world? If the same thing happened in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe or Bangladesh, would England have returned so quickly? These are the questions that must be answered by the concerned quarter.
People related to different sports are of the view that inviting any foreign team or player, at the moment is similar to asking for the moon. They argue that if even parents hesitate to send their children to compete in domestic events, we cannot expect foreigners to undertake a trip to Pakistan. As a result, the graph of sports in Pakistan has already reached low ebb and urgently needs collective efforts for its revival.
Pakistan should accept ground realities and focus on increasing domestic activities in the larger national interest. On the one hand, the competition will keep players in a good form, while, on the other hand, they will be able to deliver the goods in global events.
Concerned authorities should, however, give full attention to fool-proof security measures even for domestic events in order to avoid any mishap. Even a minute´s lapse in security can destroy all efforts.
As some one who has been involved with sports, as a sportsman, a journalist or organizer, it is sad and painful to see the present situation. Pakistan has reached what seems like the lowest ebb in its history. The country had not taken long to make its mark in sports after independence. It took rapid strides despite facing many hurdles including poor financing, lack of infrastructure, proper organization and support. But somehow the country managed to produce world champions in some sports and certainly took lead at Asian level in some others. This came through the sheer determination of few highly spirited individuals who had the vision to lead and bring moments of joy and pride to the nation.
In this one can single out one man who stands tall and he is Air Marshal Nur Khan. He had the vision to give a lead to help bring laurels in Squash, Hockey and Cricket, his innovation and some of his ideas have been acknowledged on a global level. Others like Kh. Iftikhar of Tennis, Hafeez Kardar in Cricket, Prof. Anwar Chaudhry in Boxing, Sh. Zafar Ali as a pioneer in Pakistan Olympic Association, A.I.S. Dara in Hockey, Brig. Rodhm and Major Hamid in athletics need special mention.
But where we stand now? Nowhere! It is because of several reasons. First the various sports bodies need complete overhand and change in their outlook and working. Then the governing body- Pakistan Sports Board- which has become a behemoth and unwieldy be restructured and not become a liability to eat up most of its funds on its huge establishment without doing anything worthwhile.
The sports bodies should be freed from official control and let them be run independently with professional management and to raise its own financing rather than looking for official grants. Pakistan Sports Board´s role should be re-defined. The practice of appointing Heads of Pakistan Olympic Association, Pakistan Hockey Federation, Pakistan Cricket Board, etc by Government should stop and let these be made through elections as done everywhere else in the world. I suggest let us consult some of the icons who are luckily still around like Nur Khan, Prof. Chaudhry, Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan, to be consulted besides other stake-holders including senior sportsmen, journalists, organizers to evolve a new policy to revamp the national sports. The present mockery of how sports are being run need to be radically changed. Pakistan can still stage a come back to reclaim its eminence but there is need to act without losing much more time.
Those who matter in the corridors of power should also evolve an effective marketing strategy to attract weaker teams and players for home series by offering lucrative prize money and incentives. Also, with international cricket out of the picture, this is a good time to focus on other sports that will bear fruit. We also need to take effective measures to improve the country´s image, sports wise. Last year, for example, the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) gathered players from across the World including India and China for two-leg ITF Pakistan Women´s Futures at Islamabad in the aftermath of the Mumbai incident. Although it seems a Herculean task yet, if achieved, it will go a long way in cleansing the image of the country. We can learn lessons from the past and remember that the spirit of Olympics did not die after the1972 Munich Games was marred by an ugly incident (the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes). The torch continued to glow bright.
Hockey, the national sport of Pakistan, has lost its flavour among the masses over the last decade. The reasons for the degeneration of hockey affairs are numerous, which have been highlighted off and on at various platforms. To revive the glory of Pakistan hockey, the management of hockey affairs will have to fight on two fronts simultaneously. The technical and tactical aspects of national hockey are already under focus. A pool of “Trained Senior Coaches” must be established who spread their newly acquired technical knowledge to the other coaches of country. Thus a chain of highly qualified coaches can be prepared to educate hockey youth on correct and modern lines.
The second and the most unattended front are the Marketing and Media aspects of field hockey promotion. There is a certain dearth of professionals in the field of sports marketing in our country in general and in hockey in particular. In the absence of a coherent sports culture and non-existence of professional based sports, it would not be easy to find professionals who fully understand the political, social and economic environments of sports industry. A common mistake which always occurs in such a situation is hiring of foreign experts, who despite having excellence in the concerned field are not fully aware of the above mentioned sports environments in our country. Such an expert should be able to understand the global and local sports structure and its trends, the knowledge of event management, logistical planning, and a sound understanding of corporate and individual sponsorship, relationship of tourism and hotel industry with sports and above all the capacity to hatch a detailed marketing plan. Till hockey is marketed along professional lines its chances of growing form the shadows of cricket popularity at the national level are remote.
The unexpected and unfortunate attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore left Pakistan cricket in shambles. Consequently Pakistan´s tour to Bangladesh has also been postponed. Currently Pakistan Cricket team is playing ODIs and Twenty 20 matches with Australia in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At this stage the PCB has a lot of challenges to meet. Their job has become increasingly difficult in the present scenario. Their officials deserve understanding at this point of time to perform their duties as it´s in the interest of whole country to have cricket revived.
Last year, over hundred people were killed in India through the Mumbai terrorist strikes and England returned three weeks later to finish the tour with ramped-up security. This is Double Standard? Is it for commercial reasons? Is it because India has more money than anyone in the cricketing world? If the same thing happened in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe or Bangladesh, would England have returned so quickly? These are the questions that must be answered by the concerned quarter.
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