All-night sports tournaments sweep twin cities

Lanes, streets and grounds turn into sporting arenas

ISLAMABAD: The rising temperatures and the onset of Ramazan have forced youngsters of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi city to alter the timings for their sporting activities, picking the time between opening their fasts in the evening and before keeping it early in the morning.

Alleys, streets, parks and grounds of the twin cities, thus, see lights strung up on wires tied to poles and other tall structures to adequately illuminate what will be the battlefield for the night.

These brightly lit arenas have been pulling a large number of youngsters as they indulge in their favourite sport: cricket, football or volleyball.

Some play as a one-off, others have trained dedicatedly for the annual Ramazan night tournaments which are a major draw not only for players but for fans who are not quite fit enough to participate.

Such is the popularity of these annual events, that they also draw a large number of players and viewers from nearby districts and towns. This adds to the energy and zeal to the already-overwhelming crowd gathered in every other lane and street.

Locals say that this year, given the timings of the fast, with it closing in the middle of the night at around 4am while it opens in the evening at around 7pm, they try to make the best use of their ‘waking hours’ where they do can play without having to bother about their fasts.

“We spend a large part of the fasting time asleep while we make full use of the night to carry on with our sporting activities,” some players said, noting that compared to some other activities preferred by some residents or Rawalpindi, sports was a healthy activity.

According to a recent street survey conducted by Daily Express, as soon as Ramazan started, a large number of youngsters of all ages started indulging in sporting activities.

Children, teenagers as well as adults take to the streets and grounds at various times of the night to play. These activities in some areas continue up to and at times even after Sehri.

Saad, a youngster, told Daily Express that he and his teammates remain indoors during the day when it is far too warm to indulge in any outdoor activity apart from lethargy from the fast. Instead, they play during the night.

But the choice of arenas is strange.



Youngsters seem content to play on streets despite the obvious risk from oncoming traffic. Habibur Rehman explained that said that his team does not have access to a playground where they can play at night, hence the only option they have left is to play on the roads.

“The grounds we have do not have lights,” he said, lamenting that the few lights that were once installed too are in a poor state.

Some of the street tournaments receive an official endorsement in the form of the local union council chairman inaugurating them, but they do little more to provide youngsters with proper space to play.

“Sport is vital for our health so we must be regular with some form of physical exertion,” said Hasan Ali, saying that the holy month of Ramadan has given enough opportunity to his teammates to spend their nights with a healthy pastime.



“The government should allocate funds for sports so that we can promote ourselves,” he demanded, adding that the authorities need to chalk out town-wise strategies to support youngsters in unleashing their talent and promoting the country at the international level.

Youngsters are also increasingly playing football and volleyball with purpose-built floodlight tracks and playgrounds.

Ehtesham, a young footballer, said that his team flocks to the ground soon after the Taraveeh prayers end and they continue to play until the early morning.

Abdul Rehman told Daily Express that volleyball teams from different parts of Islamabad also participate in night tournaments.

“Playing volleyball is immensely good for physical fitness,” said Danyal, who is another volleyball geek making use of the night sports during Ramazan.



The young footballers of the federal capital have also welcomed and praised the new wave of sports during the holy month. “Sports are an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Ali plays for multiple football teams in ongoing tournaments in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

“We hold such tournaments every year. They begin with Ramazan and end just before Eid,” said Muzammil, adding, “Cash prizes and trophies are awarded to outstanding performers, winners and runners-up at the close of the competition”.

Muzammil urged the government to regulate and supervise such sporting activities to help youngsters make the best of their energies and time.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2018.