No support system: Pakistani athletes suffer from injuries

Pakistan's sports landscape is plagued by a glaring oversight: the absence of a structured system to treat players' major injuries. As a result, athletes are often left to bear the financial burden of their own medical expenses, compounding the physical and emotional toll of their injuries.

After an investigation, Nukta has come to the conclusion that even elite athletes are not looked after when they get seriously injured. Even majority of the departments are unable to provide support to their top athletes in treatment for serious injuries.

Army’s support level of their athletes is a bit good as they can avail facility of Combined Military Hospital. Other units cannot go beyond primary treatment level and it is the player who will have to manage his own treatment when it comes to serious injuries.

How are injured athletes treated

Nukta has come to know that federations go against the injured athletes at a time when they need their support in treatment.

Players usually conceal from their respective federations their injuries as they understand if they disclose the fact then they will be expelled from the camp.

“Our federation, which is dominated by mafia, considers players as machines. Injuries are part of athletes’ lives and they are more exposed to injuries but they cannot speak about their injuries. If an athlete discloses that he is injured he is sent home,” a renowned player told Nukta on condition of anonymity.

“Federations don’t accept injuries. A few years ago, when we were going to Islamic Games I had a knee pain. During our training our federation’s top official was sitting there and I told him that I cannot play due to knee pain. And from that day onward every day that official would come towards me and would remind to me that my knee is injured. Not a single day he told me that federation will manage his treatment. I used to manage my own treatment and eventually I got recovered,” the player said.

“Now we have a physiotherapist but he is not so skilled to look after us properly. When we suffer a major injury on foreign tour we seek the assistance of doctors of other teams. This is the system,” the player revealed.

“Major injuries occur in camps as due to no proper diet athletes lack recovery capacity and are easily prone to multiple injuries. We should have top physio with good knowledge. When an athlete gets injured, he is struck by anxiety and it further aggravates when federation tells him to go home. How difficult is this moment for an athlete?” said a player, who is a true professional.

Another player with an illustrious track record told Nukta about how his federation stopped receiving his calls when he got injured on an international tour.

“Believe me there is no treatment system in Pakistan. Players are left helpless by their respective federations when they get injured irrespective of their status,” the player said from US.

“After winning gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi we toured Korea and there I injured my knee. I was told to go back home without offering me how federation can help me. I was left alone. My father received me at the airport and I was so worried as I wanted to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. I started managing my own treatment. In the meantime, I requested the federation to put me in the national camp where I could undergo some rehab but it refused. Even federation stopped receiving my calls until I got fit again and returned to the national squad,” the player revealed.

“And when I recovered our colleague, who is Pakistan’s top player, got injured and he also passed through the same pain as there was no support,” the player said.

Another key player said that he has operated on his knee two times and has spent Rs 400,000 from his own pocket.

“Players treat their own injuries and this a fact,” said the player, a national champion.

This correspondent understands a key Pakistan’s player who battled against chronic back injury for two years. During the same timeframe he changed several doctors and eventually he got fitter. Now he is Pakistan’s captain. Neither federation nor his department backed him during the entire exercise.

Players cannot raise their voice

Nukta understands that players are penalized by the federations when they highlight such things like lack of treatment and training facilities.

When any player speaks in the media about various issues he is warned, suspended and sometimes ignored for national duty and this is the main reason that the system remains the same.

Health Insurance

Athletes need proper health coverage particularly the elite athletes who have been playing a major role in Pakistan’s sports development by delivering at the international level. And it is the state which can manage this. There should be Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers in all federating units as well as after devolution provinces have major budgets. The PSB has already decided to install machinery at its R&T Centre at the Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad which will also operate as part of the Arshad Nadeem High Performance Academy as well.