ISLAMABAD:
Playing sports has myriad benefits. Not only do sporting activities help a person physically but it also encourages one to develop healthy habits that last till adulthood. Regular sporting activities can prevent chronic diseases and help develop a strong heart. Furthermore, regular exercise helps in controlling diabetes, managing weight, enhancing blood circulation, and managing levels of stress.
The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, always advocated the importance of sports. He emphasised that sports play a vital role in the development of a nation as it inculcates discipline and resilience, develops a sense of solidarity, and encourages the spirit of teamwork. With the recent trend of participating in national and international events like the Olympics and the Asian and Commonwealth games, there has been a tremendous increase in sporting activity in Pakistan. However, Pakistan still needs to improve their standard of training and upgrade their facilities in order to help carve out professional athletes from raw talent. Moreover, there is a general trend among youngsters to stay indoors, which is leading towards a sedentary lifestyle. This needs to change and the government must encourage sports activities.
With the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, industries have witnessed unprecedented changes and so has sports. It is about time that we invested in building sports communities across Pakistan. In order to do so, we need to initiate tournaments at the grassroots level so that young talented players have a platform to showcase their skills.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2021.
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