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Friday March 29, 2024

Unsung heroes

Part-XXVRandom thoughtsIn my previous columns under this title I talked about scientists, administrators, doctors, etc. Today the topic will be the sportsmen who brought laurels to KRL and to Pakistan.During WWII after Gen (later Field Marshal) Montgomery defeated German Field Marshal Rommel at Al-Amein in Egypt, PM Churchill flew there

By Dr A Q Khan
February 16, 2015
Part-XXV
Random thoughts
In my previous columns under this title I talked about scientists, administrators, doctors, etc. Today the topic will be the sportsmen who brought laurels to KRL and to Pakistan.
During WWII after Gen (later Field Marshal) Montgomery defeated German Field Marshal Rommel at Al-Amein in Egypt, PM Churchill flew there and addressed the victorious troops saying: “When people ask you what you did in the Second World War, it will be enough to say ‘I fought with the 8th Army’”. That battle was the turning point in the war. Incidentally, a large number of soldiers/officers fighting there were from India. Even Bhopal had its share by contributing a company. In the same way, those who were my colleagues at Kahuta are proud to say that they were part of the team that made the country a nuclear power.
We all know that a healthy body promotes a sound mind. Once we had achieved our main goal, my attention turned to the sports facilities. Tall, handsome and athletic Brig Sajawal Khan and DG Health Physics, Mansoor Ahmad, were enthusiastic supporters. The sports facilities were ready in the late eighties and in 1992 we had a cricket team of repute.
Mansoor’s father had been captain of the Indian Railways Cricket Team and cricket was in his blood. He was a good organiser and was president of the Islamabad Cricket Association for two years. While all logistical support was provided by Brig Sajawal, Manager Rashid Iqbal and Sports Officer Azim, Mansoor helped with the training and in arranging matches. Our cricket club produced such shining stars as Misbahul Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Waseem, Ali Naqvi, Saeed Ajmal, Muhammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Azhar Ali, Nadeem Abbasi, Muhammed Asif, Yasir Arafat, Bazid Khan, Irfan Bhatti, Asif Mahmood, etc.
The cricket stadium at our Pindi office is of international standards and size. There were comfortable dressing rooms, neat and clean bathrooms, a dining hall and a spacious pavilion. Many national and international matches have been played there. The West Indians, South Africans, Sri Lankans and Australians played there and were full of praise for the facilities. I used to make it a point to go and see the matches whenever a foreign team played at our stadium. It was a particular treat to watch the West Indians and the Australians playing.
Our football team – KRLFC – was formed in 1995. They were at their peak in 2009 when they won both the 2009 National Football Challenge Cup and the 2009 Pakistan Premier League. They represented Pakistan in the third tier of the Asian Club Football at the AFC President’s Cup and managed to defeat the Cambodian champion, Naga Corp. Lack of international exposure was always a big hurdle for us.
In 2011, KRLFC won the National Football Challenge Cup for the third consecutive time. They represented Pakistan again in the AFC President’s Cup and defeated all their opponents in the first round. They were halted in the second round, again due to lack of foreign exposure.
In 2012 they won the National Football Challenge Cup, their fourth straight win, and the Pakistan Premier League, winning the title for the third consecutive time. 2013 saw KRLFC in top form. In the AFC President’s Cup they drew with Dordoi of Kyrgystan, beat Global by 2-0 and beat Yeedzin by 8-0. They qualified for the final round, beating Dordoi by 1-0 and Al-Quds of the Phillipines by 2-0.
In the final they lost by 1-0 to Balkan of Turkmenistan in the last minute and were runners-up of the title. The team won the Pakistan Premier League title four times in total, three times in succession. They created history by being the only Pakistani team to play the finals in 66 years.
Mansoor Ahmad and Dr M Farooq were the spirit behind the glory of our football team while M Sarwar Rafiq was their excellent coach. Farooq managed to get Shamrez Khan, a top class player and coach from Tarbela Football Club. The team had such excellent players as M Asghar (Captain), Ch Sarfraz Rasul (who was KRL Captain and Pakistan Captain), Allah Nawaz, Mr Saeed, M Aamir, M Mehdi, Hayatullah, Sajjad Ahmad, Hameed Khan, Kaleem Khan Farooq, Khushdil, M Tariq, M Ayaz, Jahanzeb Khan, Shahzad, Afsar Hussain and many, many more. At present Ayaz Butt is the manager and Shamrez Khan is still helping young, talented players.
The players of both the cricket and football teams brought laurels to KRL and Pakistan. They were hardworking and efficient, managing to work in the Project and still do an excellent job at their respective sports. I am proud of all these colleagues of mine.
In addition to the cricket and football teams, we also had a Hiking Club. Dr M Alam, a PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics and a weapons expert, was the spirit behind it. I had a small bungalow built as their Club House just outside the main gate of the complex at Kahuta. Others who actively participated in this healthy sport were Dr Tahir Rasul (now a professor at Air University), well-known dental surgeon, Dr Anisur Rahman, Mr Ziauddin, Dr M Afzal, Dr Yasin Chowhan, Dr Tasleem, Dr Haroon, Mahmood Pervaiz, Burney, Javaid Afzal, Dr Waqar, Iqbal, etc.
They used to go to Siachen Glacier, Dosai Plains, Dadu, Challas, Gilgit, Skardu, Soost, Shandur, Passu, Darkot etc. The equipment for their activities was donated by our dear, late friend, Dr Heinz Mebus of Germany, who was of great assistance to our project.
Other recreational facilities had also been created – swimming pools, a golf club (built by our very competent and efficient, Brig Saeed Baig), squash courts, riding club, tennis courts, etc. Situated at the dam (built by Gen Anis and Brig Sajawal Khan) there was a small guest house for week end and picnic use by officers. There were also two pre-fabricated halls each at the Kahuta and Pindi offices for marriages and other functions where good, cheap meals could be provided.
All these facilities helped my colleagues concentrate on their jobs and relax during their time off. I am happy that all the facilities were much used and greatly appreciated. These, together with our medical facilities, made many other organisations envious.
To be continued
Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com