KARACHI:
Between all the doom and gloom of the political mess, dwindling economy, and severe weather conditions, the sports community has offered a respite with some good news. Hamza Khan won the squash junior world title for Pakistan after 37 years. He deserves all the appreciation and support of the nation for bringing the country’s name back on the map in a sport in which Pakistan once ruled. From Roshan Kan to Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan, we had many greats in squash, which no other country could ever dream of. Unfortunately, though, we completely lost our way due to a lack of funding, interest, and facilities for the players.
Another good news on the sporting front was the triumphant win of our cricket team in the test match series against Sri Lanka. The team deserves appreciation for their commendable performance in the last couple of years despite our neighbouring country using every possible means to destroy cricket in Pakistan. From creating hurdles for players visiting Pakistan to banning our players on forums they have control over, they have always worked against Pakistan Cricket Board. It is almost surprising to see the team rank at the top spot in tests, second in one-day internationals (ODI), and fourth in the twenty-20 (T20) rankings with a lack of cricketing opportunities at home and perpetual political interference in cricketing affairs.
The relevant government bodies should take these recent successes as a sign to invest in different sports and improve facilities for players to enable them to showcase Pakistan on a global stage. I hope and pray that we can win the glory back in hockey too one day.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2023.
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