‘Pakistan badminton breathing its last’

Veteran player Wajid rues division at the helm of affairs.

KARACHI: Badminton player Wajid Ali rued the state of the game in Pakistan, calling for immediate solutions to problems that have caused the sport’s world governing body to impose a ban on the country’s participation in international events.

Pakistan may not possess a rich badminton history but players have at least been able to make their presence felt in various international events in the past.

However, the sport has seen a slump, and a quick one at that, after being marred by indifferent officials at the helm of affairs.

Like several other sports bodies in the country, badminton is also divided into two factions — one being a group based in Islamabad and led by Nazar Gondal, a former federal minister, and another based in Lahore and headed by Mian Iftikhar.

The division forced the World Badminton Federation to ban Pakistan in April 2011 and ordered the country to get its house in order. Since then, Pakistan has been barred from taking part in international events, while hosting tournaments has remained a dream.



While the sport’s world governing body wants Pakistan to have one body, which is backed by the country’s sports board and the Olympic association, there are currently no signs that the situation is even close to being resolved.

‘Badminton almost dead in Pakistan’      

Wajid, an eight-time national champion, said the sport needed to be revived and quickly.

“Badminton is in a miserable state,” Ali told The Express Tribune. “If the issues are not resolved soon, then Pakistan badminton will vanish off the map. It will not be wrong to say that the sport is breathing its last in the country.

“Many players, who had the potential to do well, have already quit the sport, while others are considering. In the present situation, there is no choice. Previously, we used to get around 10 international events but since the last two years we’ve been completely isolated.

“I was ranked among the top 75 players in the world but now none of our players are even in the top 600.

“This has stopped the progress because of which departments are firing players and have started abolishing badminton teams.”

He lashed out at officials, who were fighting for the control of badminton and, in turn, demoralising the players from pursuing the sport.

“I request them to put aside their differences and think about the game and players. The world is making fun of us because of the present situation.”

‘Elections under POA and PSB umbrella a must’

The Lahore-based player, who holds posts in both the POA and PSB, said fresh elections were needed to resolve the crisis.

“There’s no other solution other than elections for a single body under the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Olympic Association.”

Pakistan have won various accolades at the international level with the semi-final appearance at the 1974 Asian Games being rated as the biggest achievement.

The national shuttlers also clinched bronze medals at the First Islamic Countries International Tournament in 2005 and the 10th South Asian Games in Colombo.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2013.