Mehboob frustrated by lack of govt support

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Olympian athlete Mehboob Ali on Thursday said that he has been so depressed by the lack of support that he sometimes thinks of leaving athletics.

“I am really depressed. We worked so hard for trials and recorded best timings but there is no camp for the Asian Games,” Mehboob told ‘The News’ in an interview. “It’s really heart-wrenching. Sometimes I think I should leave playing athletics,” Mehboob said from Attock.

“After trials in Islamabad most of the athletes went to their homes because there was no camp. I am training at Attock. I have worked hard for the last six months but nobody backs me. I and my brother Nokar Hussain earn collectively Rs60,000 in salaries from Army but our daily diet cost is Rs1400. Now think how we can survive in such a situation,” said Mehboob, who represented Pakistan in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He said Pakistan had still a medal chance in athletics in the Asian Games but the athletes were not respected.“We don’t need any foreign coach. Our own coaches are far better than any foreign coach. What we need is proper camp in Islamabad and balanced diet,” the athlete said.

He said that he pulled off 50.29 seconds of timing in the 400m hurdles in trials in Islamabad, while Nokar inked 46.38 seconds in 400m race. “It’s impressive timings. I know the strength of the Asian circuit and we have a chance of a medal in 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay if we are given some respect,” he said.

“Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem can also win a medal in Asian Games. He is a fine thrower and can transform into a world class athlete. He needs treatment but I don’t think anybody is concerned,” the athlete said.

The 2014 Incheon Asian Games statistics show that there is some chance of a medal for Pakistan in 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay.

China’s Cheng Wen ended with a bronze in 400m hurdles in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and Mehboob has recorded the same timing in Asiad trials in Islamabad.India’s Anokia Rajiv claimed bronze in Incheon in 400m with 45.92 seconds and Nokar’s 46.38 in the trials shows he is close to that.

Asian Games are penciled in for August 18 to September 2 in Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang.Mehboob said the government did not give them a single penny for the medals Pakistan claimed in two major athletics events last year.

“We won gold in 4x400m relay in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, last year. Before that we won silver in the Islamic Games in Baku in 4x400m relay but the government did not encourage us,” he lamented.

“The Commonwealth Games medalists were honoured but we have not been handed any financial reward which is discouraging. Several athletes said goodbye to the game because of this step-motherly treatment,” Kasur-born Mehboob said.

This correspondent tried to contact Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) President Maj Gen (retd) Akram Sahi but he did not receive the call. Due to lack of funds, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has been unable to initiate camps for the Asian Games. The camps which had been begun were also halted by the Board because of the same financial issue. It is expected that a final decision about the camps will be made in the meeting of the PSB with federations and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on June 6 in Islamabad.