ISLAMABAD - Some shocking things were witnessed during the recently-concluded National Junior Basketball Championship which was held at Hamidi Hall of Pakistan Sports Board. An inside source on condition of anonymity has told TheNation that there was no proper accommodation or food was provided to the players who had come from far flung areas of the country to take part in the championship. The team from Punjab who were also the defending champions of the event were provided stay at Jinnah Stadium in a single room where 10 to 12 persons slept on floor and the room was too hot that boys preferred to spend the whole night in the open sky rather than sleeping in such humid and hot place. The source further revealed that there was no check and balance on any individual as the players kept on rooming outside and come back at 2 or 3 in the morning. The officials concerned who were supposed to check the discipline and enforce the rules never bothered to even check what was really happening, he added. He said that the boys were given unhygienic breakfast and there was no relief for them during the lunch too as only cold pulses without salt were provided to them, and when the boys refused to eat they were told to get something from outside from their own pockets. The source further mentions that the rain exposed all the tall claims of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) as the roof of the Hamidi Hall, where the event was being played, kept on leaking and the players found it too hard to handle the ball and many players got injured due to slipping. He said the atmosphere inside the hall was like an oven as humidity restricted players movement. Despite getting handsome grants from the government, the PSB has failed almost on all fronts to provide relief to players who came here from not only Pakistan but from abroad too. Another horrifying thing which the source specially mentioned was that four persons came to players and divided them all on sectarian basis and then sent them to different mosques to offer Friday prayers. How on earth this is possible? How can someone divide players on sectarian basis? If sports are not spared from this divide then God knows what will happen to the future of the country. TheNation has also learnt from reliable sources that the defending champions Punjab players were given train tickets to travel from Lahore to Islamabad and a hardly journey of four to five hours was completed in almost 14 hours as the engine of the train thrice failed. It is a bad luck of the country if its youngsters turn up their backs towards it but in Pakistan, youth are forced to leave the country as they are not provided equal opportunities and only the influential has the right to all the benefits. One more interesting thing which needs to be mentioned here is the overage players who despite passing well over their peak years continue to occupy places in teams and never allowed the youngsters any chance to show their skills and not only keep on playing themselves along with their kids but also extend the invitation to their near and dear ones, this practice must be stopped immediately and merit must be the key to selection. One more thing which is like a cancer to Basketball in the country is there are three parallel Basketball Federations currently working in the country. The government must intervene and like other sporting organisation make sure their will only be a single federation that will solely represent the country both at national and international level. This will not only help basketball flourish in the country but also enhance the countrys reputation world over. All the players who play basketball were never allowed any TA/DA or medical or any other facility. Players from Punjab who were the defending champions and successfully retained their crown deserved better treatment from the federation and Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif, who himself is a fond sports lover must announce some kind of incentives for the champions as they also deserve recognition of their services from the head of the province. Like cricket multi-national and other national companies must step forward and extend their support to other sports like basketball too so this sports can further blossom. There is no lack of talent in the country but the thing we lack is proper facilities and grooming the raw talent. The government must start work on providing basketball courts with all the facilities. The concerned authorities have to give a serious thought to this genuine demand of the youth to stand any chance of getting world class players and their services for the country can only be utilised by providing them all necessary facilities otherwise the future of the sports in country is looking very bleak.