Pak youth need sports uplift plans on priority

ISLAMABAD: While policy-makers in Pakistan are in a deep sleep over the future of sports, Indian government has initiated a new sports development programme for its youth with the name of ‘Mission Olympic Cell’, shortlisting 258 athletes in 12 sporting disciplines for further training and grooming.

The National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) will begin youth training from October 1, 2020 even amid the growing cases of Covid-19 in India. Since the Indian government has always put sports at the top, measures are expected to be taken for bio-secure training coaching of the selected youth.

Of the 12 disciplines, 70 athletes have been shortlisted in shooting, 16 in athletics, 34 in archery, 27 in badminton, four in cycling, seven in table tennis, 14 in swimming, 11 in judo, 36 in boxing, 16 in weightlifting, five in rowing and 18 in wrestling apart of some that are already there. The selected athletes will receive a monthly ‘Out Of Pocket’ allowance of Rs25,000 (Rs55,000 Pakistani rupees).

The amount to be spent on the programme is apart from the sports budget already announced by the Indian government recently that saw sports federations getting Rs5980 million per annum. More importantly, the government there is already pursuing two other ambitious plans for sports development including ‘Khailo India’.

Indian government keeps on initiating programmes for youth, an initiative that is missing from the Pakistan federal and provincial governments.

No efforts have ever been made to start youth sports development in a consistent manner. Here the policy-makers look more interested in developing roads that are already catering the requirements.

Recently the pending amount of Rs220 million from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) kitty that was to lapse ahead of June 30, 2020 was diverted to carpeting roads inside the Pakistan Sports Complex and adjacent areas. Those who are regular visitors at the Complex know it well there was absolutely no requirement of road carpeting anywhere around the Complex.

What lacks in Pakistan sports is a permanent system that could ensure spotting a talent and then grooming it according to the international requirements.

The government has recently approved around Rs4 billion to uplift sports facilities in Peshawar and Islamabad. Majority of facilities already exist in Islamabad and the investment of Rs1 billion would be enough to upgrade these. The rest of the amount should be diverted towards evolving a system to pick the talent at the right age and then start their training under the watchful eyes of well-versed coaches for the best possible future results at international level.