“The POA dropped us without even consulting us,” PSF Honorary Secretary Majid Waseem told The Express Tribune. “We had even completed all the formalities after we were allocated two places to participate in the event. I am stunned and I feel like I was being killed when I came to know that we were not taking part in the Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games.”
The PSF recently organised the National Men’s and Women’s Championship in a bid to select the best swimmers from the country, but the three-day event in Lahore - where 387 swimmers from around the country had participated in - went in vain.
“The National Championship were actually held as trials, which served to single out the best swimmers but now our hopes have dwindled and the players are also down,” added Waseem while admitting that Pakistani players are not that competent but believed that such event could help them to find valuable exposure.
Pakistan has never won a medal in the Olympics and remains a mediocre competitor in the Asian Games, the SAF Games, and the Commonwealth Games.
POA’s vision to find maximum success
In a bid to improve the dismal performance in the previous Commonwealth Games which took place in 2006, the POA have planned out disciplines which they deem are competent enough to find maximum success this year.
“We have shortlisted the disciplines that will pave the way of smooth success,” POA spokesperson Muhammad Afzal told The Express Tribune.
Pakistan had taken part in the 2006 Olympics with a 75-member strong contingent, comprising 53 men and women. However, the group was only able to win five medals in four disciplines. They had one silver medal in hockey, one bronze and gold medal in shooting and one silver medal in boxing.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2010.
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