The hopeless performance in the Asian Games in various disciplines by Pakistan has exposed where the country stands in the continent. It requires no rocket science to understand why our sportsmen and sportswomen are continuously failing to show their skills and talent at international level.

At the time this piece was being written, Pakistan was placed at 29th position with just one bronze medal – achieved in kabaddi.

India was eighth with six gold medals, eight bronze and 14 silver medals. Such small countries as Thailand, Hong Kong China and Macau have performed better than Pakistan. Even the war-torn Afghanistan was in a better position.

It is interesting to note that in Asian Games 1962, played in the same country, Pakistan was fourth with 28 medals – eight gold, 11 silver and nine bronze. Pakistan’s last good show in the Asian Games was in 1990 in Beijing when we stood sixth with 12 medals – four of them gold.

In 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China, Pakistan won eight medals – three gold, two silver and five bronze.

In 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea, Pakistan managed to bag five medals, including one gold.

But the performance in Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta has been pathetic – to put it mildly.

There are hopes of medals only in hockey, judo, karate, boxing and rifle shooting.

Pakistan’s dismal performance in the ongoing Asian Games is not, however, something unexpected. There was political chaos in the country as it was election time. There was shortage of funds to send the complete contingent for Asian Games. Some of the federations have had to bear the expenditure themselves.

What can be expected from our sportsmen and sportswomen at the most competitive event at Asian level when Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) have failed to organise the National Games since 2012!

National Games and national championships of each disciplines are the best occasion to select the players for international events. There have been no national-level championships in various disciplines so our players did not have the opportunity to hone their skills. They also did not participate in international competitions due to various reasons, including shortage of funds and infighting among sports bodies.

Pakistan used to be considered a powerful sports nation in the world. We used to dominate cricket, hockey, squash, snooker, boxing, yachting, bridge, wrestling, boxing, and a few other disciplines at Asian level.

Under the 18th Amendment, sports ministry was done away with and the affairs have been managed by the ministry for inter-provincial coordination.

There have been delays in athletics championships. Athletics, considered mother of all sports, remain the most neglected in the country.

Till two to three years ago, foreign teams had not been visiting Pakistan. The situation has changed somewhat.

If our sports authorities had some sense, they would have developed sports structure by organising maximum competitions at the domestic level. Our sportsmen and sportswomen would have remained competitive just as South Africa were when they returned to international cricket at the 1992 World Cup.

Now the electoral process has completed in the country and there is PTI-led government with the slogan of bringing change in the country and making a Naya Pakistan.

The best thing is that the country’s premier Imran Khan has been a sportsman.  He does not need to be told the importance of sports for bringing change in the country.

The PTI-led government needs to bring reforms to raise the prestige of Pakistan at international level sports.

Due to infighting among the sports authorities, there are a number of parallel sports bodies.

The condition is that Pakistan´s Asim Ejaz suffered the embarrassment of missing out from competing in men´s rowing lightweight single sculls at the Asian Games on Friday. He was disqualified for exceeding the weight limit.

Lightweight men cannot weigh more than 72.5 kg according to the rules but the 31-year-old was found to be over that limit despite his official games entry putting him at 72 kg.

"In race no.57 LM1x, PAK is excluded due to exceeding the maximum of body weight," Games organisers said in an official statement. Who is responsible for his selection for the Asian Games? This is ridiculous.

Let’s hope Pakistan win medals in hockey, karate, judo, rifle shooting and boxing, which would save our prestige.

It is time for a revolution in sports officialdom. We must think about how to lay strong foundations for sports. The entire sports fraternity is looking towards the country’s greatest sportsman, Imran Khan.