Remembering former PFB chief on his 2nd death anniversary: Sports icon Khawar who took Pak baseball to world heights

LAHORE: It’s been two years since Pakistan lost one of its great sports icons former director general sports board Punjab Syed Khawar Shah. Born on December 7, 1949, pioneer of baseball and softball in Pakistan, Khawar Shah left for eternity leaving everyone in distress on January 16, 2018.

Khawar Shah had great interest in sports from his early age and he himself was a good footballer and athlete. He also had great interest in kabaddi and wrestling.

Khawar Shah took his early education from Jhang and was also student union president of Government Degree College Jhang. Later did his masters in 1976. He started his professional career two years later as Tehsil sports officer, Sports Board Punjab. In 1983 he was promoted as Divisional Sports Officer. It was start of his journey which saw him become Deputy Director in 1997 and later in 2002 as Director General Sports Board and he remained at the position till October 19, 2004. in 2007, he was made managing director of Sports Board till his retirement in December 2009. He remained associated with Directorate General Sports Punjab for more than 30 years. During his three decades association, he organised and supervised several national and international events in Lahore as well as the province of Punjab, which included 1983 and 1996 World Cup matches and Pakistan's series against the West Indies and England. Besides being a sports officer, he also supervised and organized international football, bodybuilding, hockey, wrestling and kabaddi tournaments in Lahore and several other cities of Punjab. He also played a vital role in the organization of the Pakistan and India Dangal competitions in Bahawalpur, Multan, Gujranwala and Lahore. In 1992, when International Olympic Committee included baseball in Olympics, Khawar Shah decided to introduce the sport in Pakistan and held an inaugural event at Gujranwala, where he was Sports Officer. The same year, he also organised the inaugural National Baseball Championship, which was participated by Wapda, Railways, Islamabad, Balochistan, NWFP, SIndh, Punjab Whites and Blues. Later Pakistan Police, Army and Higher Education Commission also joined baseball.

Khawar Shah did everything possible day in and day out to promote baseball in the country and with his dedication and hard work got Pakistan affiliation of International Baseball Federation and Baseball Federation of Asia. The two parent bodes of the world and the region always appreciated the efforts of Khawar Shah for the sport in Pakistan and later at the Asian level.

His those efforts earned him the presidential award from Asian baseball in 2011 and later in 2013 he was nominated executive director West Asia Region by Baseball Federation of Asia.

It was also due to his efforts that Pakistan baseball team participated in several international events and it was also his honour at the time when international teams were reluctant to tour Pakistan, he organised international baseball tournament in Lahore. In 2013, Pakistan team also participated in Under12 Baseball World Cup held in Taiwan. In 2016, it was under his command, Pakistan took part in World Baseball Classic qualifier held in New York, America and the national team is now regularly taking part in the Asian Games.

Since 2006, Khawar Shah conducted several international events in Pakistan at Islamabad and Lahore and in all those seven events Pakistan team won the gold medal. He also introduced baseball even in don-trodden areas of Pakistan. Syed Khawar Shah since his association with sports from his early day remained attached with it till his last breath.

On his return from UAE after participating in Dubai Cup, he straightway went to Islamabad where Quaid-i-Azam Games baseball event was being held in December 2017. But work stress and cold weather conditions of Islamabad took its toll and Khawar Shah fell sick and was diagnosed for phenomena and on January 16, 2018, he left a big gulf in the country's sports. His services to sports and his personality as a human being will always be remembered. RIP Syed Khawar Shah.