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GROUND REALITY

By Usama Rasheed
Fri, 03, 17

The state of sports management in Pakistan has always been gloomy. Despite all the obstacles, the country has proved itself in different disciplines owing to the immense talent that it has been blessed with.

Karachi Athletic League -

unearthing local gems

The state of sports management in Pakistan has always been gloomy. Despite all the obstacles, the country has proved itself in different disciplines owing to the immense talent that it has been blessed with. Individuals have proved their mettle throughout the world and won laurels for the country. People at the helm of affairs seem incognizant of the advanced methods that are being adopted to reach the top, which is why our athletes struggle in keeping up with the gruelling pace and stumble in major competitions. The ignominy, which the country had to face in the recent Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, speaks volumes. Had a concrete and efficient four-year programme been formulated and materialised by setting up grounds and training facilites, and hunting for top talent, the performance of our athletes, and above all, the number of qualifiers would have been there. Hockey was the only game which was sparing us blushes in the biggest extravaganza of sports, but since the team failed to qualify this time around, we had to be contented with continental quotas.

GROUND REALITY

Pakistan’s arch-rival India’s Olympics show might not have been impressive, but their structural revamp paid off as the country boasted the strongest ever contingent (121) in its history.

Pakistan lags way behind in sports which is an alarming sign for a country that has produced phenomenal talent over the years. Organising events at provincial and national levels is not enough. Unearthing talent from grassroots, and grooming it under the tutelage of acclaimed coaches and trainers can propel our sports to new heights. Kids who go to schools are more driven towards undergoing intense training, which is the aspect often neglected.

In Sindh, especially, not a single athletics event has been staged since 2007, which clearly manifests the non-seriousness and incompetence of the high-ups.

To provide the kids of Karachi a platform to showcase their talent, a not-for-profit organisation “The Sports Company” held a three-day “Karachi Athletic League” in collaboration with the Sindh Athletic Association in which more than 250 contestants from different schools participated.

The League exploded into action from March 3 in which schoolgoing kids aged 8-19 took to the track for different competitions in three age categories (under-14, under-17 and under-20).

The athletes who emerged victorious will get a chance to represent the Sindh team in the National Athletic Championship slated to be held in April.

All the schools fielded their best athletes in a bid to embolden and assist them in realising their true potential.

To ensure transparency in the results, a special software was acquired which could record the exact time and distance at which an athlete crossed the finish line, or an object landed after it was released.

The participants put in all their efforts in an attempt to outgun their rivals. The ecstatic spectators and supporting staff roared with adulation. Each winner was lauded and runner-up embraced. 

Participants were very enthusiastic about getting this amazing opportunity as competitions of this kind will help them in honing their skills.

A 16-year-old student from Foundation Public School, Sheikh Mohammad Hammad said that this platform would encourage him to work even harder as they were being properly briefed about the rules and regulations of different competitions and trained by professional coaches.

15-year-old Rayyan Idrees, who won gold medal in 200m relay, said that he had been training for a few months and it would be a dream come true for him to represent Pakistan at national level. However, he lamented that the city lacked training centres and he had to travel all the way from Defence to Karachi School Games and Athletics Club (KSGA), a physical fitness centre, which is situated at the National Coaching Centre Karsaz, for practice.

The tartan track at the National Coaching Centre didn’t meet international standards as it had patches and gravel had come ot of some of its spots. However, it has been learnt that maintenance work is underway which will be completed in a few days. Moreover, the long jump pit has been erected while the pole vault box and hammer cage have also been fixed. An electronic timer will also be installed for the National Athletic Championship.

A hostel should also be built here so that athletes who live far and don’t have any means of transportation can stay and train. A proper training facility and technologically-advanced environment can turn it into a state-of-the-art centre.

These kids need a roadmap and the people associated with The Sports Company deserve huge plaudits for stepping up for this great initiative. There is still a long way to go as this is just the beginning, but it will certainly reap the fruits of talent which Pakistan desperately needs if it is to challenge other nations.

Sports officials who are pocketing exorbitant salaries and have failed to bring about any constructive change must be removed from their posts.

Only a potent framework can help Pakistan emerge from the self-inflicted humiliation whose medicine it had to taste at the recent Olympics. It is better late than never for the higher authorities to channel their energies into guiding Pakistan restore its lost pride. Where there is a way, there is a way!

 

Karachi Athletic League Group Winners

Groups Winning  team Runner-up

U14 Girls        KGS 1   KGS 2

U14 Boys       KGS 1   KGS 2

U17 Girls        KGS 1   FPS

U17 Boys       BVA      FPS

U20 Gilrs        N/A       N/A

U20 Boys       N/A       N/A

 

Karachi Athletic League Best Athletes

U14 Girls        Adeena Tabani         KGS

U14 Boys       Amin Hussain            KGS

U17 Girls        Hiba Khurshid            FPS

U17 Boys       Arbab Tanoli              ESS

U20 Gilrs        Shafaq Afreen           N/A

U20 Boys       Farhan Mehoob