The first quarter of june will be important for the sports governing bodies to decide the strength of the Pakistan contingent for the 19th Asian Games slated to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23-October 

9. According to sources, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has recommended a 150-member contingent for the quadrennial event. A crucial meeting between the PSB and national federations is expected to be held in the first week of June. It will be interesting to see how federations justify their teams’ participation in the
vital assignment. It seems that the PSB wants to back only those athletes who can deliver at the biggest stage. It has been the stance of the Board for
the past few years. The current economic crisis has added to the federations’ woes.

 Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has already told the federations if the PSB does not sponsor their squads then the federations will have to
bear the expenses themselves. I don’t think every
federation is capable of managing travelling expenses and boarding and
lodging costs which have risen fast in the wake of the
depreciating Pakistani currency.

 Except for a few sports
Pakistan will not be able to deliver much in the continent’s biggest assignment.
We have chances in a few disciplines but there too it will depend on the kind of preparation which will be made for the purpose. What I know is that our athletes should not expect an ideal preparation for the Games.
The authorities will go for the camps after the ongoing National Games but
there too problems are expected to occur, mainly due
to financial constraints. I don’t think the Board
will be able to back big squads for the camp which
federations normally want to keep in order to ensure
proper training of their target athletes who will be
showcasing their talent in the Asian Games.

The federations have already managed accreditation cards for their
respective probable squads and after the National
Games they will be in a good position to decide which
players should be fielded in the continental extravaganza.
According to sources, in July, the final entries by
name will be confirmed and it means federations still
have time to assess their squads before finalising
them for the Asian Games. 

After a month-long
camp, most federations will go for internal trials to finalise the squads.
Foreign training of the athletes is not expected
keeping in view the financial situation of both the PSB and the federations. It is yet to be seen how the sports governing bodies cope with these pressing issues ahead of the crucial Games. Asian Games are also
very important in that they will be a prelude to the 2024
Paris Olympics Qualifiers. In boxing, Asian Games
will serve as Olympic Qualifiers and we should focus on
our boxers so that they can deliver at the major stage.
Pakistan last featured in boxing in the 2004 Athens
Games and since then our pugilists have been waiting
for a much-awaited return to the Olympic fold.
Some federations have planned vigorously to develop their squads for the
Asian Games but most are looking towards the PSB to
support them. It’s the perfect time for
the federations to learn how to survive and how to keep
their sports active without state funding.
In the current scenario we cannot develop our
sports only through the assistance of the state. Our
federations will need to be more proactive to keep generating funds and develop
their sports disciplines.

  They can also get the assistance of the International
Federations (IFs) and continental federations. Federations can also seek the assistance of Pakistan’s embassies in foreign countries
while sending their squads for training ahead of any major event. The federations should also work on building the characters of their athletes. We have seen in most of the cases that those athletes who get richer don’t respect even their coaches. They should credit their coaches for their performances. They should learn
that performances never remain the same and after
good days there may be bad days. 

Money comes and
goes but what you do always will remain and our athletes,
who come from poor backgrounds, should not forget
their identity. The big issue is that some federations are involved in politics. They
throw away their most productive coaches whenever
they want and don’t realise that they are the biggest enemy of their country. Some federations have thrown away even their
most productive players. We will need to change our
sports culture and PSB and POA both should make such
federations accountable for their deeds which are inflicting a huge damage on
the country’s sports. I hope we learn how to
deal with the various resources and how to manage
our sports. I am not happy with what is going around. Will pray for
the best. 73.alam@gmail.com