Federations still waiting for Task Force recommendations Pakistan sports virtually at standstill

ISLAMABAD: There are no two opinions that Pakistan sports is virtually at the standstill for the last one year with virtually no apparent end in sight.The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) looks completely dysfunctional as the leading federations, coming under the banner of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), have been eagerly waiting for the government decisions on the Task Force recommendations, leaving players and athletes with no stage to train and give vent to their sporting emotions.For the last almost one year, no funds were released for the federations by the government on the pretext that new system would soon be evolved to streamline sports in the country.In an endless wait for that system to see the daylight, even the existing one has turned dead. Whatever the talent for Olympic sports was there is slowly disassociating itself from the required hard work necessary to become champions of the future. Very few federations in the country have so far survived from this total disinterestedness of the PSB. Those which are continuing to support and back their athletes under present circumstances are the one which are active and are making every effort to keep things going in wake of uncertain future. The Task Force, which was constituted to “reform” national sports, has already submitted its initial viewpoint to the IPC, the head of the IPC Ministry Dr Fehmida Mirza. No doubt national security is supreme, yet why it has taken eight long months for the government to craft and announce a Reforms Package.Let’s look at some salient aspects influencing our national sports scene these days:Unlike in developed nations of the world, the corporate culture in Pakistan is nowhere close to supporting sports as a path towards youth development, for good health or character building. Starting today one can safely look at a minimum of one to two decades before that one can even claim stake to having taken a step or two up that ladder.Funds being the lifeline for the federations to continue with their programmes to develop their athletes. It compels one to wonder as how to take sports to the maximum capacity and a rightful place. It is still time for government to consider the fate of PSB. Sports desperately require funds be provided to every “deserving” federation to allow breathing space for their activities.* These could be manifested in the form of:Instead of throwing the fate of sports on the mercy of private sector, there is a dire need to take such concrete and solid steps to establish the future on sound footing.

from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2Uyjs82