ISLAMABAD - MOHSIN ALI - Neither President Asif Ali Zardari nor even Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf bothered to say a word of appreciation for Pakistan gold medal winners who had raised the green and white flag of the country high.
Pakistani junior squash players had done wonders for the country by winning the gold medal in the recently-concluded Asian Junior Team Squash Championship in Seoul, Korea. They remained unbeaten in the entire championship and defeated holders India in the final with a 2-0 thumping defeat, but despite achieving this highly appreciable feat.
Just because of this step-motherly treatment with other sports, most of the kids prefer to play cricket and hockey. Whenever a cricket team or hockey team despite not winning the gold medal at international events, returns to the country, they were accorded a warm welcome and immediately President and Prime minister not only laud their ordinary performances but they are showered with numerous benefits both in the shape of cash, jobs and even they are allotted plots in different areas but the injustice is done to all other sports.
President and Prime Minister are the heads of the state and sports persons expect at least recognition from them, but they are even denied from that too. How can one expect to join other sports or take that as a profession when there is hardly any reckoning? That is the main reason parents and kids just want to concentrate on playing cricket or to some extent hockey, as these two sports provide them with a chance of better livelihood.
Squash is a game which had given Pakistan a good name and fame as we were the undisputed champions of world of squash for almost four decades. But sheer negligence from the government and other private institutions, we failed to produce any world champion after the departure of great Jahangir and Jansher Khan and that golden era is now only in history books.
And to put icing on the cake, Air Vice Marshal Syed Razi Nawab snatched vice president slot of Asian Squash Federation (ASF) just under the noses of Indians, and that too after a gap of five years. Indians had planned a smooth passage for their candidate but despite all the odds against Pakistan, Razi did a fantastic job to add further insult on the wounded Indians injuries.
Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has taken some remarkable steps recently ever since Razi Nawab was appointed as Senior Vice President of the federation, a complete turnaround in the fast declining fortunes of Pakistan squash was witnessed.
Razi appointed one of the best squash coaches of the world Jamshed Gul in January last year and in his very first year, Jamshed paid off that confidence with helping Pakistan seniors landing gold medal in Asian Senior Team Squash championship, taking juniors to silver medal at World juniors and helping same players who had hardly performed before him to win international PSA events in different countries.
Jamshed has also done great job with female players too, as in the very first competitive action, Pakistani girls although finished fifth in the Asian Junior Team Squash Championship, but indeed it was a great achievement.
If the government really wants to get better results in other sports then it has to support them just like it does to cricket and hockey otherwise soon Pakistan will find it really hard to even produce players in other sports rather than thinking of winning at international stage.
President and Prime Minister should immediately called these golden boys along with their head coach and recognise their achievement, so that they may take heart from that and try to win more laurels for the country in the years to come.
It is also the responsibility of national and multi-national companies to lend a helping hand to the PSF and invest on this golden generation of Pakistan squash, as there is every possibility they will not disappoint rather guarantee medals in return.