KARACHI:
Pakistan is a nation that loves sports, yet our national football team is ranked near the bottom of the FIFA rankings. That is a matter of national concern. The reason lies in our broken football system. We lack proper facilities, and even at the grassroots level, children do not have enough grounds to play on.
Although we have the Jinnah Sports Stadium, we still do not have a venue that meets international standards. Every successful football nation has a competitive domestic league, yet the Pakistan Premier League, which began in 2004, collapsed after the 2018-19 season. Since then, repeated attempts by the Pakistan Football Federation to revive the league have failed. The current PFF leadership has yet to take any bold steps to revive the game. The federation must adopt a long-term plan instead of relying on short-term measures. More stadiums and playing grounds should be developed at the grassroots level so that children have opportunities to play. Young talent must be nurtured, and greater efforts should be made to encourage women’s participation in football.
A proper domestic league should be revived and held regularly without interruption. Talent should also be identified from across the country. Building a strong football system will take time, but that time will be well spent if we have the courage to begin now.
Sherjan Ghulam
Turbat
