With India and Nepal seemingly at unassailable positions on the medals table till the fifth day of the 13th South Asian Games last Thursday, Pakistan were desperately fighting for the third spot overall as far as gold medals are concerned.

Till the end of the events on December 5, Pakistan were at the fourth spot with overall 16 gold, 22 silvers and 29 bronze medals. Sri Lanka were at the third with 17 gold, 35 silvers and 55 bronze. Bangladesh were at the fifth spot with four gold, 11 silvers and 45 bronze. In the last SAG Pakistan had finished third with 12 gold medals.

This time Nepal being hosts are exploiting home conditions and till writing of the piece were trailing leaders India (62 gold) with 36 gold medals.

Sources said that referees had been favouring Nepal and that is why they are at such a good position. Nepal had claimed only three gold medals in 2016 SAG in India.

In the last games, Pakistan had finished third with 12 gold medals.

If Pakistan fail to maintain the third place, the whole blame will be on Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) which did not take the Games seriously. The Board neither held training camps for the Games, nor managed foreign training tours or foreign coaches for the squads. The Board also did not bother to consult federations or Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) while finalising the contingent.

The POA wanted the Board to sponsor a 424-member contingent but the latter supported only a 305-member contingent.

South Asian Games are important for Pakistan in the sense that at least here we can press for medals. In the rest of the international events, Pakistan have been struggling over the years.

For a long time, the Indian authorities haven’t been sending their top athletes to South Asian Games. They normally send second or third strings, which gives other nations opportunities to win medals.

But still SAG are the base and if we are unable to perform here then how can we click in Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games?

National karatekas did a spectacular job in Nepal by producing their second-best performance in the history of the Games. Pakistan won six gold, eight silver and five bronze medals in karate. Saadi Abbas, Shahida, Mohammad Awais and Nouman Ahmed won individual gold medals. The other two gold medals were won in men and women team kumite.

Only one male and two female fighters failed to win gold. In 2004 SAG held in Islamabad, Pakistan had produced their best performance in the discipline when they won seven gold medals.

In athletics, Uzair-ur-Rehman (200m) and Mohammad Naeem (110m hurdles) claimed gold medals and more such performances were expected. In the last SAG, Pakistan had failed to win any gold in athletics. The country’s premier javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem was yet to compete till the filing of this piece. The Asian Games bronze medallist was aiming for Olympics qualification.

Taekwondo fighters Haroon Khan, Rab Nawaz and Shahzeb won gold as the nation finished in the discipline with three gold, six silvers and eight bronze medals.

In wushu, Amjad Ali (85kg), Maaz Khan (75kg) and Sajid Hussain (80kg) took gold. Pakistan finished in wushu with three gold, four silvers and four bronze.

In volleyball, Pakistan got silver medal. National volleyballers were expected to beat India in the final keeping in view the Green-shirts’ recent performances against their arch-rivals but that was not to be. Despite winning the first set, Pakistan lost the final 3-1. In last SAG, Pakistan had claimed bronze.

Pakistan are a better-ranked side than India in Asia but the players did not live up to the billing.

Six nations took part in volleyball event with Sri Lanka finishing with bronze after beating Bangladesh 3-1 in the third place outing in Kathmandu. Pakistan need to give more exposure to their volleyballers. Playing just a handful of matches in a calendar year will not improve Pakistan in the discipline although we have abundance of talent.

National Games also affected Pakistan’s performance as the players got little time to do combined practice.

Pakistan were yet to compete in beach volleyball, scheduled in Pokhara.

In shooting, Pakistan had clinched two gold medals in team events and four bronze and more were expected.

Although Pakistan won bronze medals in both men’s and women’s badminton team events, a huge gap in standard was seen between Pakistani and Indian shuttlers. Pakistani players were looking like club shuttlers when they were fighting against India in badminton. Even the country’s top seeds suffered humiliating defeats against the Indians. Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF) should focus on giving exposure and foreign training to the deserving players. National shuttlers don’t follow discipline in taking diet and rest even during training camps and national championships. The federation needs to work more on the sport.

As the Games had not even reached half-way stage more medals were expected. It would be interesting to see where Pakistan stand at the end of the Games whose opening ceremony was also witnessed by the federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza. The minister should go and see such events but the issue is that the government has funds for sponsoring ministers and secretaries but it does not have money to send players to such Games. Our sports high-ups should think about it. There is no one bigger than athletes in Pakistan’s sports circles.

Pakistan were expected to grab gold medals in wrestling, weightlifting, squash and judo, whose competitions were yet to begin. Our wrestlers have always impressed and this time, too, they are ready to win titles.

“Like in the past we again will try our level best to earn maximum medals in wrestling,” Pakistan’s premier wrestler Mohammad Inam said in a video message just before the wrestlers’ departure for Kathmandu.

In swimming, too, Pakistan can pull off a few surprises. The country’s top seeds Syed Haseeb Tariq and Bisma Khan are expected to extend a stunning performance.

The writer can be reached at 73.alam@gmail.com