BY : Muhammad Zeeshan Javed,
Szabist University Karachi.
In Pakistan, cricket is given a lot of resources and attention hence other sports like football, hockey and athletics are frequently disregarded. The lack of funding and facilities keeps these sports from thriving despite the nation’s illustrious hockey past and potential. It has been challenging for other sports to obtain the necessary national and international recognition due to cricket’s dominance.
The media’s and corporations’ exclusive focus on cricket and the lack of financial support for other sports is one of the primary causes of this imbalance. Because of this, unlike athletes from other nations, our competitors find it difficult to compete in big competitions like the Olympics. Even those who are able to play frequently do so through loans, and because there are insufficient qualified coaches, their performance is inferior to that of players from other nations who receive quality instruction. Not even hockey, the national sport of Pakistan, gets the attention or funding it merits. Despite the fact that the Pakistan cricket team doesn’t always perform to expectations, all the attention and resources are instead focused on cricket even with significant financial support and elite coaching personnel. Nonetheless, cricket continues to garner more attention than other sports.
Pakistan needs to have an equitable stance when it comes to development and funding in all sports if it wants to become a balanced athletic nation. Not just in cricket, but in other sports as well the nation can develop talent in a variety of fields and succeed internationally by giving each sport equal consideration and funding. Additionally, this would promote interest in hockey, the national sport, and enable athletes from all disciplines to compete in important events boosting national pride and achievement.
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