Tiny Olympic presence

It is disappointing to note the small size of Pakistan’s contingent for the 2024 Olympic Games. With only seven athletes and 11 officials, Pakistan’s representation at the event is astoundingly inadequate for a nation of 245 million people. The limited number of athletes participating in the Paris Games cements concerns about the country’s overall sports development and investment in grooming and nurturing talent.

The overall size of the contingent pales in comparison with several smaller countries, including many with even worse economic and security situations than us. Add to that the fact that only one of the Pakistani athletes at the games qualified directly — javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who is also the only realistic medal hope. Sprinter Faiqa Riaz qualified on a wildcard, while the others are all quota entrants. Both categories have lower entry standards and sometimes require only basic sporting competence, and even that is not always necessary, as many athletes and Olympic associations ‘game’ the system. Meanwhile, the national hockey team, once a source of pride, failed to qualify for the third consecutive Olympics. On the other hand, India has grown steadily over the past several Olympics and will consist of 124 athletes, the vast majority of whom qualified directly.

To truly promote and support the growth of sports in Pakistan, the authorities need to invest in comprehensive sports development programmes that identify, train and support athletes. This would not only provide greater opportunities for Pakistani athletes to compete and excel on a global stage, but also reflect the country’s commitment to sports and athletic development. While critics may fairly point out the cost of top-level training facilities, several other countries on a budget have established systems where athletes can get up to international standards, which allows top talent to win sponsorships, which can cover the costs of the highest level of training and support.