A raw talent, born to a poor family, in a small town, has won a gold medal, after 40 years, for Pakistan, at Paris Olympics. He comes from Mian Channu. In January, this year, he did not have enough money to buy an international standard Javelin, nor was the top-heavy Pakistan Olympics Association eager to help him, and neither was any sports body involved in athletics. There is a proverb “Success has many fathers, but failure has none”, and we will witness numerous individuals emerging, proudly claiming how they contributed to Arshad Nadeem’s success. The fact is, this was an individual effort. He emerged like a star and his risen to the zenith, which any athlete can dream of, by winning a gold medal at Olympics and also setting a record.
Almost 75% of our population lives in small towns and villages, without any access to subsidized basic education, schools, colleges, or even vocational training centers, and sports activities etc. or hospitals etc. These schools with their playgrounds, classes, laboratories and libraries are breeding grounds for talent to emerge. There is no dearth of raw talent in Pakistan, nor those with rare God-given mental faculties. All that is needed is a government committed to explore this talent and offer support to cultivate, what nature has bestowed these individuals with. There are numerous likes of professor Dr Abdul Salam, or sportsmen like Arshad Nadeem, who go unnoticed in this unfortunate country. Both these gentlemen came from humble backgrounds. Dr Salam studied from a small unknown school and worked hard to make a name for himself and become a Nobel Laureate. He was lucky, in the sense, that the state at that time, offered subsidized quality education, not just in government owned schools, but colleges and universities, which were affordable to the poor. Countries have transformed from under- developed states to developed nations, because they were able to cultivate the rare breed of geniuses. Dr Salam was not from any elite public or private school, but a school where children of the poor, who form majority, go to.
Unfortunately, the State has absolved itself from its constitutional obligation to provide education and health to all citizens. Pakistan has become victim of an Elite Capture, by individuals and groups who are disconnected with large majority, and have no intention to live here. On some pretext, or the other, the large majority, irrespective of whether they are in politics, or the paid civil and uniformed bureaucracy, have in a manner of speaking, already abandoned this country. They have shifted their families abroad, alongwith their white or black money. Almost all sports organizations, and other state-owned corporations, including those involved in regulation of higher education, universities, power generation/distribution, research institutes in science and health etc., have become dumping grounds for rehabilitation of retired powerful elite or political cronies. Their priority has been to relish at state expense, the ostentatious lifestyle they enjoyed while in service. It being their last stint, they go overboard in their pursuit of abusing these perks. In some ways, these individuals should not be blamed, but those involved in appointing them, are guilty of criminal negligence and cronyism. Almost all beneficiaries of such appointments, were neither qualified, nor experienced, in the relevant field, these organizations were involved with. Other than mere rhetoric, it seems, that is has never been priority, or agenda, of ruling elite, to prepare this country to meet challenges it faces. They are responsible for radicalizing large major majority.
For almost 20 years, Pakistan Olympics was headed by a retired officer, and during his tenure at helm, a record of sorts was created. There was a drought of medals. This country did not win even a bronze or silver at any Olympics event for over 38 years. The last gold medal Pakistan won, was in hockey at 1984 Olympics. However, if you review the administrative costs of these organizations, or the expensive limousines at their disposal, and amount of money involved in their extensive worldwide tours, attending seminars etc., it is baffling. There was hardly any allocation for sportsmen/women, or providing them with international standard kits and coaches for that sport. The only exception being PCB, with its abundance of resources and funds. But even that has become a target of political cronies. It is elite romance with cricket, perhaps because it was the favorite game of their colonial masters. Sportsmen and women, like other humans, need to have financial support and opportunities for employment, so that they can focus on their game. For decades there was a system where private and semi-autonomous departments existed which sponsored sports events. Unfortunately, this system, was discontinued and sports has suffered.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
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