Organisation formed to protect rights of coaches

KARACHI: Pakistan Wushu Federation (PWF) President Malik Iftikhar has formed an organisation in the name of ‘Rights of Pakistan Sports Coaches’ which will try to make the state frame a policy for coaches so that they could be properly financially rewarded when their athletes perform in international circuit.

This is not an association and Malik has requested the Olympians, journalists and all those people who could render their services for safeguarding the rights of coaches in Pakistan to join the organisation.

It will work, in the first step, until state forms policy for coaches’ rights.

In the next step when various people of repute will rush to join the organisation then they will decide who will lead and set their future targets.

“Whoever leads does not matter. No matter if Olympian Islahuddin comes to lead it or someone from other sports disciplines gets the responsibility its objectives are clear,” Malik told ‘The News’ here the other day.

Malik has few times raised the voice for the rights of coaches in the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) meetings also. He had also told former prime minister Shoukat Aziz in a face to face communication a few years ago that coaches are being deprived.

These days the 13th South Asian Games medallists are being handed cash awards in different phases but coaches are being ignored. Their salaries which they get from state are also meagre and cannot meet their needs.

The other day ‘The News’ had done a story on coaches’ issue and had interviewed various stakeholders who were of the view that coaches deserved incentives.