In Pakistan, new policy on the cards after decades-long decline in sports 

Arshad Nadeem, of Pakistan, competes in the men's javelin throw final at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo on August 7, 2021. (AP)
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Updated 10 August 2021
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In Pakistan, new policy on the cards after decades-long decline in sports 

  • Pakistan has not won a single medal at Olympics since 1992, sportspersons and experts blame Pakistan Sports Board
  • PSB DG says restructuring Board, setting up regulatory authority, election commission, dispute resolution committees

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The director general of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has said there were plans to restructure the body and introduce a new sports policy to turn the tide on a decades-long decline of sports in the country, with sportspersons and independent experts blaming Pakistan’s dismal performance at this year’s and past Olympics on institutional wrangling and a lack of funding and training facilities for athletes. 
Pakistan is now 18th in hockey rankings after being consistently among the top four and winning a record four World Cups. The nation has not won a single medal at the Olympics since 1992.
At the Tokyo Olympics that concluded last weekend, only two Pakistanis impressed.
Weightlifter Talha Talib, competing in the 67kg men’s contest, was at the top of the race before being surpassed by athletes from China, Colombia, and Italy in final attempts. There was national jubilation in Pakistan last week when Arshad Nadeem qualified for the javelin final. He finished fifth.
Though Talib and Nadeem managed to raise national spirts momentarily, their near misses have once more raised an oft-asked question: How did sports-loving Pakistan, which once prided itself on producing extraordinary athletes, fall so far behind?
Col (R) Atif Zaman, the director general of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), said the “politicization” of sporting federations and the violation of merit in the selection of players were the main reasons sports had suffered in Pakistan in recent years. 
Zaman was appointed to head the Board in March this year.
“We plan to restructure the Sports Board and bring in a new sports policy under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan which will fix the problems leading to a decline in sports, especially the Olympics,” the DG told Arab News. “We are forming an election commission and dispute resolution committees, which will hold elections of different sports federations.”




Director General  of Pakistan Sports Board, Col. (R) Muhammad Asif Zaman (left) meets President Judo Federation, Col. Junaid Ahmed at Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad on June 23, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Sports Board)

Most importantly, Zaman said, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) would be regulated. 

“POLITICAL INTERFERENCE”
Formed in 1948, POA is the sole representative body of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Pakistan and operates exclusively under the Olympic Charter. It is headed by Lt. Gen. (R) Syed Arif Hassan, the second longest serving president after his predecessor Syed Wajid Ali, who served from 1978 till 2004.
Hassan, and POA General Secretary Muhammad Khalid Mehmood, did not respond to Arab News questions seeking comments for this story. 
But in a statement released on July 27, the POA blamed the Inter-provincial Ministry (IPC), headed by Dr. Fehmida Mirza, and the Pakistan Sports Board, for the decline of sports in the country.
“The POA is not responsible for sports development in the country,” the statement said. “This is the responsibility of PSB and it is clearly stated in their own rules which are available on their website.”

“Existing facilities and financial support for our sportspersons are the lowest in the region despite which our athletes have made tremendous strides in their respective sports events, as is evident from Talha Talib’s performance,” the statement said. 




Boys play squash in Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad on March 12, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Sports Board)

Mohsin Mushtaq Chandna, Secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination Division, who spoke on behalf of minister Mirza, told Arab News the ministry had allocated $3.65 million to improve sports in Pakistan and was hiring foreign coaches. However, he admitted to the need to revamp the nation’s entire sports infrastructure to better prepare players for international competitions like the Olympics. 
“The foreign coaches for different games will train our sportsmen for the South Asian Federation games that are scheduled to take place in March 2023, and this will help kickstart our revival in sports after a long time,” Chandna said. 
About POA, he said: “We are committed to extend all our support to associations and federations to improve the sports infrastructure in the country, but they should also shun politics and ensure selection of players on merit.”
On Monday, Geo News quoted Fehmida Mirza as saying the Olympic Association was “interfering with and controlling every matter which is not their job … the POA is not allowing the government to play its role.”
But the PSB DG defended the Board against these accusations, blaming sports federations and the POA instead, particularly for the country’s poor performance at the Olympics. 
“The POA is responsible for selections, it also issues accreditation, appoints chief of the mission,” Zaman said. “So what is the role of PSB?”
“Federations need to be vibrant, and the government should facilitate them but federations haven’t played their role,” he said. 
Under a new sports policy, Zaman added, a regulatory authority would be to “fix the things and help promote talented athletes to the top.”




The pictures shows exterior view of Pakistan Sports Board in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 28, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Sports Board)

“TALENT HUNT, SPECIAL FUND”

Former Olympians were not convinced.
“Pakistan wants readymade athletes and doesn’t want to invest in sportspersons,” Kiran Khan, an Olympic swimmer and one of the first international female swimmers from Pakistan, said. “If the government doesn’t support us, athletes will vanish from the country.”




Pakistani swimmer Kiran Khan (C), Fariha Zaman from India (L) and Niniruwani from Sri Lanka hold their country flags at the end of the 50 metre butterfly race in the South Asian Swimming and Water Polo Championship at the Sports Complex in Islamabad, Pakistan on September 3, 2007. (AFP/File)

The Pakistan Sports Board’s budget for 2021-22 is Rs 1 billion ($6 million). In comparison, New Zealand, a country with a population of five million compared to Pakistan’s 220 million, has a sports budget of $265 million while Australia, with 25 million people, commits $136.3 million annually for sports. 
Pakistan has also struggled to spend its yearly sports budgets. The PSB confirmed that Rs44 million of its budget for last year lapsed, blaming the coronavirus pandemic for limiting sports activities and training, due to which less money needed to be spent. 
But at least six former athletes questioned by Arab News directly blamed PSB for the decline in sports and Pakistan’s poor performance at international contests.
“Sports federations have a responsibility to provide players, and POA is a selection body but the primary responsibility lies with the Pakistan Sports Board which has to groom players, provide them training,” swimmer Khan said. 
Saadi Abbas Jalbani, a former captain of the Pakistan National Karate team, agreed that the responsibility lay with the Board. 
“It has the responsibility to train and groom sportsmen,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s downward journey in sports started in 1988 when “we brought politics into it.” 1988 is the last time Pakistan won an individual medal at the Olympics.
Senior sports journalist Faizan Lakhani also said a “major chunk of blame” went to the Pakistan Sports Board since it was in charge of both the infrastructure and funding for sports in the country. 
That sports was not a “priority” for the government, he said, was reflected by the fact that PSB did not have a full time DG for over two years until one, Zaman, was appointed in March this year. He also lamented lapsed budgets of the Board. 
“Keep a special fund of 400 crores under the Olympic program. Spend four to five crore on each athlete per year, provide them training, coaching, all technical facilities,” Lakhani said. “If you do this with sincerity, I’m sure these athletes can bring laurels.”
Muhammad Inam, a freestyle wrestler who shot to fame after defeating Indian opponent Anuj Kumar at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where he won a gold medal, agreed that Pakistan needed to invest in training and follow models adopted by top sporting nations. 
“For the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China selected kids in a talent hunt in 1996. Better results can be achieved through long term planning,” Inam told Arab News. “But in Pakistan, the last camp was held a little before the Asian games in September 2018. What results can one expect in such a short period?”




Pakistan's reestyle wrestler, Muhammad Inam (second right) celebrates after winning the gold in the men's Freestyle 86kg gold medal match against Melvin Bibo of Nigeria during Wrestling on day 10 of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Carrara Sports in Australia on  on April 14, 2018. (AP/File)

Zaman said all this would change now that the PSB was putting together an elite pool of children for training, and would soon unveil a new sports policy.
“We will directly train them, will provide full sport in diet, training and will monitor them through technology,” he said. “In the new policy, departments will be eliminated, and games will be revived at the tehsil and district levels.”


IMF says its mission will visit Pakistan this month to discuss new loan

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IMF says its mission will visit Pakistan this month to discuss new loan

  • Pakistan last month completed a short-term $3 billion program, which helped stave off sovereign default
  • But the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for a fresh, longer-term program

KARACHI: An International Monetary Fund mission is expected to visit Pakistan this month to discuss a new program, the lender said on Sunday ahead of Islamabad beginning its annual budget-making process for the next financial year.
Pakistan last month completed a short-term $3 billion program, which helped stave off sovereign default, but the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for a fresh, longer-term program.
“A mission is expected to visit Pakistan in May to discuss the FY25 budget, policies, and reforms under a potential new program for the welfare of all Pakistanis,” the IMF said in an emailed response to Reuters.
Pakistan’s financial year runs from July to June and its budget for fiscal year 2025, the first by Sharif’s new government, has to be presented before June 30.
The IMF did not specify the dates of the visit, nor the size or duration of the program.
“Accelerating reforms now is more important than the size of the program, which will be guided by the package of reform and balance of payments needs,” the IMF statement said.
Pakistan narrowly averted default last summer, and its $350 billion economy has stabilized after the completion of the last IMF program, with inflation coming down to around 17 percent in April from a record high 38 percent last May.
It is still dealing with a high fiscal shortfall and while it has controlled its external account deficit through import control mechanisms, it has come at the expense of stagnating growth, which is expected to be around 2 percent this year compared to negative growth last year.
Earlier, in an interview with Reuters, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the country hoped to agree the contours of a new IMF loan in May.
Pakistan is expected to seek at least $6 billion and request additional financing from the Fund under the Resilience and Sustainability Trust.


Pakistan PM extends condolences over death of Saudi poet Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen

Updated 05 May 2024
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Pakistan PM extends condolences over death of Saudi poet Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen

  • Prince Badr, affectionately known as the ‘word engineer,’ was a legendary figure in the contemporary Saudi poetry
  • His influence on art form was felt across the Gulf, while his eloquent verses left indelible mark on hearts and minds

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday extended his heartfelt condolences to Saudi Arabia’s Royal Family on the death of eminent Saudi poet, Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen, saying his legacy would continue to inspire generations to come.
The prince, affectionately known as the “word engineer,” was a legendary figure in contemporary Saudi poetry whose influence in the art form was felt across the country and the wider Gulf region, where his eloquent verses and poignant prose left an indelible mark on the people’s hearts and minds.
A pioneer in the popularization of Saudi poetry among Arab audiences, Prince Badr’s verses were immortalized in songs by many esteemed Arab artists, including Talal Maddah, Mohammed Abdu, Kadim Al-Sahir and Assala. His patriotic words and songs struck a deep chord with Saudis in particular.
In a post on X, Sharif said Prince Badr’s most popular song on Saudi Arabia’s National Day would always remind the world of his profound love for his country.
“His contributions to contemporary poetry in the Arabian Peninsula were truly remarkable and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” the Pakistan premier said.
“May his soul rest in peace and may his words forever resonate in the hearts of poetry lovers around the world.”


Prince Badr was born on April 2, 1949, and his journey as a poet and cultural figure began at a young age. He studied in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UK and the US as he took his early steps on the path to becoming a significant figure in Arab literature.
As president of the Saudi Society for Culture and Arts, he played a crucial role in fostering artistic expression and influencing the development of poetry organizations in the Kingdom. In recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field, King Salman honored Prince Badr with the prestigious King Abdulaziz Medal in 2019.
Soon after, the Kingdom’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission announced plans to collect and publish his complete literary works to commemorate his enduring legacy and celebrate the profound impact he had on the Saudi creative movement during a five-decade career.


Top Afghan diplomat in India quits after $2 million gold smuggling reports

Updated 05 May 2024
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Top Afghan diplomat in India quits after $2 million gold smuggling reports

  • Zakia Wardak was reportedly stopped last month on arrival at Mumbai airport, carrying 25 kilograms of gold
  • The Afghan consul-general was not arrested because of her diplomatic immunity, but the gold was confiscated

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan’s top diplomat in India resigned days after she was reportedly caught by airport authorities smuggling nearly $2 million worth of gold into the country.
Zakia Wardak, the Afghan Consul-General in India’s financial capital Mumbai, posted a statement on social media platform X announcing her resignation.
Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi shut down in November, more than two years after the Taliban returned to power in Kabul following the collapse of the Western-backed government, leaving Wardak as the country’s most senior representative in India.
“It is with great regret that I announce my decision to step away from my role at the Consulate and Embassy in India, effective May 5, 2024,” Wardak said Saturday.
Indian media reports said Wardak was last month stopped by financial intelligence authorities at Mumbai airport on arrival from Dubai — along with her son — carrying 25 kilograms of gold.
She was not arrested because of her diplomatic immunity, the reports said, but the gold — worth around $1.9 million — was confiscated.
Wardak’s resignation leaves thousands of Afghan nationals, including students and businessmen, without any consular representation in India.
Most foreign nations — including India — do not officially recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban government, but acknowledge them as the de facto ruling authority.
In many Afghan missions, diplomats appointed by the former government have refused to cede control of embassy buildings and property to representatives of the Taliban authorities.
Wardak said in the statement that she had “encountered numerous personal attacks and defamation” over the past year.
Such incidents “have demonstrated the challenges faced by women in Afghan society,” she added, making no explicit reference to the gold allegations.
The Taliban authorities have full control of around a dozen Afghan embassies abroad — including in Pakistan, China, Turkiye and Iran.
Others operate on a hybrid system, with the ambassador gone but embassy staff still carrying out routine consular work such as issuing visas and other documents.
Most countries evacuated their missions from Kabul as the Taliban closed in on the Afghan capital in August 2021, although a handful of embassies — including Pakistan, China and Russia — never shut, and still have ambassadors in Kabul.


At OIC summit, Pakistan expresses concern over Israel’s ‘brutal’ military onslaught in Gaza

Updated 05 May 2024
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At OIC summit, Pakistan expresses concern over Israel’s ‘brutal’ military onslaught in Gaza

  • Pakistan’s Deputy PM Ishaq Dar expresses full support for Palestine’s inclusion as a United Nations member
  • Dar urges OIC member states at Banjul Summit to push for immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Palestine

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday expressed his deep concern over Israel’s “brutal military onslaught” in the West Bank and Gaza, state-run media reported, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine.
Dar was speaking at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit being held against a backdrop of widespread anger over Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The Jewish state has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and caused massive destruction of hospitals, schools and residential neighborhoods in the densely populated area.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister arrived in Gambia on Wednesday to present his country’s perspective on a wide range of issues, including the war in Gaza and the rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over Israel’s ongoing brutal military onslaught against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
“In the backdrop of the genocide of Palestinians and atrocities of Israeli forces, he urged the OIC Member States to work together for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.”
Dar also expressed Pakistan’s support for Palestine’s admission as a full member of the UN, demanding the resumption of the process for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister called for the creation of a viable, contiguous and sovereign state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders.
Dar also spoke on an uptick in Islamophobic sentiments and incidents in different parts of the world, particularly since the outset of Israel’s war in Gaza last year in October.
He urged the OIC to formulate a joint strategy to work with global social media platforms to harmonize their content regulation policies for blasphemous, anti-Islamic and Islamophobic content.
“Dar also strongly condemned the surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric and Islamophobic narratives by India’s political leaders during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections which threatened the regional stability,” the APP said.
He urged the OIC to work collectively to address the existential threat of climate change, which caused catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 that killed over 1,700 people and affected over 33 million in total.
Dar met The Gambia’s president and his counterparts from Turkiye and Azerbaijan to discuss enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.


Pakistan to face India on Oct. 6 in women’s T20 World Cup clash 

Updated 05 May 2024
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Pakistan to face India on Oct. 6 in women’s T20 World Cup clash 

  • ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to run from Oct. 3-20 in Dhaka and Sylhet
  • Pakistan are placed in Group A with Australia, India, New Zealand, Qualifier 1

DHAKA: England will face South Africa in the opening match of the ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh later this year, the International Cricket Council announced on Sunday.
The event will run from October 3 to 20 in the capital Dhaka and the northeastern city of Sylhet, with warm-up matches starting on September 27.
Hosts Bangladesh and the top six teams from the previous edition in South Africa — Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies — qualified automatically for the tournament, with Pakistan joining them as the next best ranked team.
Ireland, the UAE, Sri Lanka and Scotland are in contention for the remaining two places, with the semifinals of the qualifying tournament being held in the UAE.
Six-times winners and current world number one Australia will play in Group A alongside India, New Zealand, Pakistan and a Qualifier 1.
Neighbours and rivals India and Pakistan will face off on October 6.
Group B will feature South Africa, Bangladesh, England, West Indies, and Qualifier 2.
“Over the last six to seven years we have seen women’s cricket grow exponentially,” ICC chief executive officer Geoff Allardice said at the announcement of the fixture list and trophy unveiling in Dhaka.
“This is going to be a very special tournament,” he added.
It will be the ninth edition of the tournament, with Bangladesh previously hosting in 2014.