Pakistan’s sports history is full of athletes who came from humble backgrounds and did a solid job to earn numerous medals for the country in international circuit.

One big example is of two brothers Nokar Hussain and Mehboob Ali and their maternal uncle Mohammad Naeem who are doing great job for the country in athletics. The two brothers are 400metre specialists while Naeem is a 110metre hurdler.

Naeem is a bit young, having won three national titles for Army while the two brothers are highly experienced, having played in many international events.

Mehboob was part of Pakistan’s contingent for the 2016 Rio Olympics. He had been chosen for the world’s most prestigious extravaganza due to his stupendous showing in the 2016 Quetta National Championship.

Naeem recently won gold in the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal and Mehboob emerged as gold medallist in the 400metre hurdles. Naeem and Mehboob and three other athletes then were sent to China for training. However, the tour was cut short due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.

In the 13th SAG in Nepal, Mehboob also got bronze in the 4x400metre relay in which his elder brother Nokar also ran.

In the 2016 SAG in India, Mehboob claimed bronze in 400metre hurdles and 4x400metre relay. Nokar got bronze in 4x400m relay.

In 2017 Baku Islamic Games, both Mehboob and Nokar were part of Pakistan’s 4x400metre relay silver. In the same year in the first Asian and Indoor Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Mehboob and Nokar were part of Pakistan’s 4x400metre relay gold.

Asad Iqbal and Nishat Ali were the other athletes in the breath-taking event at the superb indoor gymnasium in Ashgabat, also called white marble city.

Mehboob is expected to press for Olympics seat when qualifiers are held from December 1 until the end of June, 2021.

The qualifiers have been suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Sons of a poor father, Mohammad Mansha, Nokar and Mehboob grew up in village Khara of district Kasur. The abject financial conditions of their family forced both Mehboob and Nokar to abandon education and started working in mills.

However, a retired Army official of their village advised Nokar to join Pakistan Army. After joining Army as an athlete Nokar then also managed a job for his younger brother Mehboob in the Army. Initially Nokar played athletics while Mehboob worked as a soldier. Later when the financial status of their family turned better, Mehboob also took to athletics and went on to play Olympics and World Championships.

Let’s ask Mehboob and he will tell you the real story.

“When we grew up we left school and started working in the mills as our financial condition was so poor. When we joined Army, Nokar’s skills were honed by coach Sikandar Iqbal and so he became a player,” Mehboob told ‘The News on Sunday’ (TNS) in an interview.

“Nokar then told me that I should also join Army as it is recruiting under-matric people. Then Nokar took me to Army and I was recruited also. But if we both played sports in the start then we could not have met the needs of the family. Nokar did athletics and I served Pakistan Army as a soldier that kept the hearth of the home burning. After two years when our financial position became better I also started playing athletics in 2010. In 2011, Nokar became the national champion. In 2013, I for the first time played in the Army Championship,” Mehboob said.

“Then we both brothers became silver and gold medallists of a single event. Nokar got gold, I took silver in 400metre.

“Army’s athletics coach Sikandar Iqbal looked after us like his children and took us to this level.

“Then we went to Army camp. Army supported us a lot as we could not meet the demands of sports as you know it’s very costly,” Mehboob recalled.

“In 2015, we toured Iran, our first international tour. In 2016, we went to Quetta for National Championship where I set a 400metre record and I was selected for Olympics. Then I played 2016 Olympics. Then in 2017 we won gold in the first edition of the Asian and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in 4×400 metre relay. In 2017 Islamic Games we took silver in relay. I also played World Championships and toured so many countries. In 2016 SAG I took two bronze while Nokar got the other. In 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal I got gold, Nokar took bronze,” Mehboob said.

“We have reached this position because of prayers of my parents. Whenever we are to play in an event my parents don’t sleep and spend nights in prayers and pray for us,” Mehboob said.

“Because of our services for the country now people of our village also feel proud of us. We faced great tribulations in reaching where we are today. We took our maternal uncle Mohammad Naeem, the hurdler, to Army who is now three-time national champion and 2019 13th SAG gold medallist,” Mehboob said.

“There is natural talent in our family. We are now preparing our young brother so that he could continue hoisting national flag after us.

“When we are on off-days we train on roads because there is no facility in our village. We have achieved such a distinction because of our hard work, determination and prayers of our parents, coaches and people of our village. We are now honoured everywhere,” Mehboob said.

“I remember at 12pm in the night Nokar received a letter from Army asking him to join. He went at 3pm. And that was the turning point of our lives,” he said.

“Nasir is our Army coach and he also backed us. When SAG were being held in India in 2016 we were training at night. In the day, we would work for Army. We have seen very bad days but we believed that good days would come and we fought bravely until the end and God has bestowed both of us and now Naeem is also doing well for Pakistan,” Mehboob said.

“I also thank Army, its coaches and the athletics authorities (AFP) and its chief Major General Akram Sahi for his solid support.

“I personally am committed to bringing further laurels for the nation,” Mehboob signed off.

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