Is Rana Sanaullah right?

Is Rana Sanaullah right? 

Who is responsible for Pakistan’s sports decline and will we be able to ever fix it?

The ruling party’s firebrand Rana Sanaullah directed his guns at sports bodies instead of political opponents. Sanaullah is serving as the de facto sports minister.

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Only four Pakistani athletes have qualified for the upcoming Olympic Games, set to begin in Paris from July 26. De facto sports minister Rana Sanaullah hit out at Pakistan’s sports authorities as being responsible.

“We have a population of over 250 million people. Smaller countries are sending more than 100 athletes to the Olympics. This is painful,” he said. He was speaking at the 100th Anniversary of the World Sports Journalists Day celebrations in Islamabad.

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Sanaullah’s criticism, while direct and harsh, echoes the same blame game played out when Pakistan sends its team to multi-nation events.

The government almost always blames the various sports federations for the downslide. The federations in return hold either the Pakistan Sports Board, run by the government, or more recently, Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) for the slump.

The federations say the government doesn’t provide financial support while political interference is rife.

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Pakistan, once the most successful nation in Olympic hockey history, won their last Olympic medal in 1992 in Barcelona. The national hockey team has failed to qualify in the last two editions of the Games and also failed to make the cut for Paris.

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So who is responsible for the downfall - the government or the sports federations? The answer lies somewhere in between.

The talent pool is also shrinking in previously popular sports like hockey.

Meanwhile the various sports have been evolving - the rules are changing and so is infrastructure. Advancing sports sciences, not only in the West, but countries like China, Japan, and South Korea, have left Pakistan far behind.

What can be done?

Pakistan needs to think test match, not T-20, if it wants to regain lost international status.

The long-term plans for a rehaul will also need resources. There has to be proper infra-structure, international coaches, a merit-based system to spot talent, regular participation in world-level events for experience and exposure.

Can it be done?

It appears extremely unlikely in the current economic situation. Over the years, sports have become expensive while sports budgets have shrunk. There is also the question of whether there is a will to do it. Lack of competent officials in the PSB as well as the various sports federations is another negative factor.

What can we expect in Paris?

There aren’t any realistic medal-winning expectations from the seven athletes who will be representing Pakistan in the French capital.

Four of them Kishmala Tariq, Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Joseph Gulfam (shooters) and javelin thrower Arshad Nadem have directly qualified for the Games. The other three – Jehanara Nabi, Ahmed Durrani (swimmers) and Faiqa Riaz (sprinter) have received wild card entries.

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Arshad finished fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Games, narrowly missing a medal. There were high hopes but he has been facing fitness problems ahead of Paris. The young Kishmala has shown promise and would be one to watch out for.

Any hopes for Los Angeles 2028?

Let’s say the Pakistan Sports Board and federations magically get their act together for a realistic, phase-wise, funded revival. Will it be enough for the 2028 Olympics? After all, Pakistan won its last gold in L.A. in 1984.

Far more realistic would be for Pakistan to pin its hopes on cricket, which will be included in the Olympics for the first time in a century in 2028. Tragically, Pakistan’s performance in the T20 World Cup recently held in the US and West Indies, has dimmed those hopes too.