Achieved in the backdrop of systemic failure and administrative apathy, only Arshad Nadeem knows about the struggles he faced and sacrifices he made on his way to winning a historic Olympic gold medal in Paris. But back home in Pakistan, the ones who were supposed to provide him with way more than what he eventually got are busy taking credit for his landmark success. The list incudes the Pakistan Sports Board, Inter Provincial Coordination Ministry (sports), and the government.
The attempts to take credit come despite the fact that just a few months before the Paris Olympics, Nadeem had to request that he be provided with a new javelin as his old one had become worn out after years of use.
Compared to the other athletes who took part in the Paris Olympic javelin throw finals including Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra, Nadeem did not get to train under the best coaches or compete consistently in international events because of shortage of funds.
Prior to the Olympics, he also underwent a knee surgery and was left with no option but to train in oppressive heat at the Punjab Sports Complex with dozens of other amateur athletes.
But that has not stopped the government, the state-run Pakistan Sports Board, the Pakistan Olympic Association, and even Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif from taking credit for his success.
The premier was the first to congratulate Nadeem but what has left Pakistanis surprised is the claim that it was his vision which allowed him to be groomed for the ultimate medal.
A video, released immediately after the javelin throw finals by the PMO, shows the premier jumping up and clapping after Nadeem’s success with the minister for sports in Punjab telling him, “Sir yeh aap ka vision tha, aapne isko chance diya” (Sir this was your vision, you gave him a chance).” He was referring to the Punjab games being held during the time when Shahbaz was chief minister of the province.
The PSB wasn’t far behind in taking credit, claiming it provided every support to Nadeem and even spent 10 million rupees on his surgery besides giving cash awards.
The PSB, which is responsible for distributing funds to all national federations that are allocated by the government in its annual budget, has also noted that it provided a 70 million rupees annual grant to the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation.
“The PSB and the Pakistan Olympics Association really need to take a hard look at themselves for what they are really doing to support and encourage non-cricket athletes in the country instead of making big claims,” said a disgruntled member of the POA.
Pakistan’s squash legend Jahangir Khan said that as a sportsman he knows how much hard work, sacrifices, sweat, blood and tears go into winning individual medals.
“In individual sports you are fighting with yourself to gain success,” he said.
“If our sports system was functioning properly we would be producing more world class athletes given the raw talent we have,” he noted.
Interestingly Pakistan sports still remains without a functioning government policy despite tall claims. Every time the government has changed and a new sports minister has come in, policies have changed.
A multi-sports city launched in 2009 by former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal in his home town of Narowal and on which billions of government funds were spent, is yet to be completed and open for athletes.
In the last two federal budgets the amount allocated for sports has been reduced with the government bringing down the amount to 1.9 billion from 3.4 billion a year earlier.
The limited sports complexes in the country remain in dire need of proper maintenance.
To make matters worse the politics in Pakistan’s sports system has seen parallel national Olympic committees, football federations, athletics federations etc., which has only made life difficult for athletes.
“Look if Arshad’s olympic gold medal cannot turn things around for non-cricketing athletes in the country now, then nothing is going to change in Pakistan sports,” former football star Essa Khan said.
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