Inter-provincial tournaments should be held on regular basis; students of all age groups encouraged to participate
ISLAMABAD: Sporting activities are necessary for the healthy upbringing of our children. Many parents believe that participating in sports will enhance their children’s minds and bodies. Good sportsmanship provides guidelines that benefit a child in, not only in the playground, but also in other spheres of life. It also teaches children to function in a competitive society.
Sports keep one active and healthy. Many small schools, located in our neighbourhoods, which have no playgrounds or laboratories, are not being fair to our children. Sporting activities are just as important as studies and teachers all over the country need to realise this. Though Pakistan is rich in talent and many healthy activities are held to promote sports, there is still a need to do more.
If we talk about sports such as cricket, football, boxing, basketball, hockey and tennis, we can say that Pakistan has produced some distinguished names. We have so much hidden potential in our country and all we need is a platform where talented youngsters can polish their skills. To fulfill this need of the youth, the federal and provincial governments should organise healthy activities. Inter-provincial tournaments should be held on a regular basis and students from all age groups should be encouraged to participate in them. These games and competitions between provinces will engage our talented youth in healthy activities and will divert their attention from extremist ideologies, which they remain susceptible to. The talents of our youth are being misused by anti-Pakistan elements, which are using them for their own nefarious designs.
Sporting activities provide participation opportunities to people from all walks of life. Healthy contests and events for senior citizens, women and prisoners should also be held. We should promote and encourage our new talent for the betterment of our country.
Hassan Ahmed Kaleemi
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2014.
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