Daily Times

There was a time when Pakistan’s name echoed across global sports arenas. The hockey team’s lightning-fast moves left opponents bewildered, Jahangir Khan’s squash dominance spanned a decade untouched, and cricket victories became national therapy during turbulent times. Today, these triumphs feel like relics of a forgotten era.

Pakistan’s sports crisis is not merely about losing matches. In essence, it’s a failure of vision. Compare our shambolic gymnasiums to India’s Khelo India, where rural talents can easily access Olympic-grade facilities. While Pakistan’s Rs 12.8 billion sports budget prioritizes cricket, Saudi Arabia invests billions in sports cities, and Turkey’s 2023 revival plan boosted youth engagement by 40%. When talent must emigrate to thrive, what future do we offer the 64% of Pakistanis under 30?

The stakes transcend medals. UNICEF reports 35% of Pakistani youth grapple with anxiety-a crisis sports could alleviate. Yet, Swat’s cyclists dodge potholes and Quetta’s boxers spar in crumbling gyms.

Revival demands radical shifts. *First, decentralize talent scouting.* Establish “Champion Academies” in districts like Jacobabad and Swat, partnering with Germany’s football clubs or Japan’s judo federations to train coaches. The government would do well to hold PCB accountable. Why should cricket monopolize 80% of funding while hockey players beg for sticks? A Hockey Premier League, backed by firms like PTCL, could mirror the PSL’s success.

Most importantly, a National Sports Act mandating 2% GDP allocation, audited transparently, would end the corruption draining resources. Jail officials who siphon funds-as Saudi Arabia did in its sports crackdown-and mandate equal funding for women.

To Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif: Revive the Sports Ministry as a hub of innovation, not bureaucracy. Host a 2025 squash championship in Jahangir Khan’s honour. As for the citizens: Demand #SportsRevivalNOW. Turn Karachi’s alleys into cricket hubs and Peshawar’s rooftops into boxing rings.

No matter the odds, Pakistan’s sporting spirit isn’t extinct but dormant. The whistle has blown. *