I had an opportunity to be in the stands at Centre Court during the Wimbledon finals on July 14, witnessing the contest between Novak Djokovic from Serbia and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz for the men’s singles championship. The 21-year-old Alcaraz beat the vastly more experienced Djokovic, recognized as one of the best to ever play the game, without losing a single set. What is even more remarkable is that this is not Alcaraz’s first Wimbledon title, with the young Spaniard having won the same tournament in 2023 as well. Winning the most prestigious title in tennis twice in a row before turning 22 is remarkable to say the least.
Since watching Alcaraz’s performance, I have been thinking about how almost two-thirds of Pakistan is aged under 25 years. Given our large population, this gives us more young people than almost every other country and this is a great asset for any country provided said young people receive the proper guidance.
Ejaz Ahmad Magoon
London