Commonwealth Games 2022: Noor, Arshad showcase excellence of Pakistani Sport

Ishtiaq Ahmed

London: Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan won the gold medal in Javelin on the final day of the Commonwealth Games 2022 held in Birmingham, the second largest city of UK. The last time Pakistan won medal in this particular discipline was in 1962.

The other gold for Pakistan was won by Noor Dost Butt in weightlifting. He did this by lifting a record weight of 405 kg. Hussain Shah was the first Pakistani athlete to open the medals account for Pakistan by winning a bronze. The total tally of the medals for Pakistan at the close of games stood at 8 (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze)

Pakistan was represented by 68 athletes partaking in 12 different sports:  hockey, swimming, athletics, badminton, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, judo, squash, gymnastics and table tennis.

 Medal table for Commonwealth Games 2022 

Whereas we unreservedly congratulate Pakistani sports men and women for their achievements at the commonwealth games 2022, we cannot hide the gradual decline in the country’s sporting performance over the decades.

Pakistan’s most successful games were in 1962 in Perth where the country finished 4^th on the medal table, winning 8 gold medals. In 2022, Pakistan has finished 18^th on the table.

Historically, Pakistan was one of the top hockey nations in the world, ranking high and always expected to be there amongst the top three or four. But due to poor investment, planning and political interference, our national game has been left in a sorry state. Sadly, we are no longer competitive in sport which was once the nation’s pride. Other sports are also in similar state of neglect.

18^th on the table of medals for the Commonwealth games is simply not good enough for a nation of over 230, particularly, when we compare this with countries with much lesser populations, for example,  Australia has topped the table with population of 26.5 million.  Kenya with population of 56.2million, Uganda with population of 45.7millions, and the UK with the combined population of just over 68 million (England: 57million, Scotland: 5million, Wales : 3 million and Ireland : 2 million.) have all topped the medals table .

Admitted that the  size of  a national population is  not necessarily an appropriate criteria for judging a country’s sporting performance at the top end of the international sport but it does provide some indication of an extent to which a  country attaches importance to achieving and doing well in sport at the highest level.

Sport is generally viewed rekindling national pride, promoting goodwill internally and between nations, and showcasing of national human endeavour and excellence. We only have to see the intensity of national pride and unity when a Pakistani sports men and women do well at the highest level.

Sports have capacity to bring communities and nations together in a way that nothing else can. By nations, it is also an opportunity to showcase excellence of their   human talent at the biggest international stage. These and there are many other reasons and considerations for nations to invest in nurturing their human sporting talent and for taking pride in doing it well.

Sadly, our political leadership is too engrossed in personal survival to pay any attention to the development of huge sporting talent which our nation has. This has resulted in a rapid decline in sports where Pakistan was regarded as one of the bests in the world, for example, hockey, cricket, and squash amongst other sports.

Pakistan has enormous talent but needs proper structure and resources to grow and actualise its potentials. For Pakistan to revive the much needed spirit of unity and national pride, there is no better tool than sport for achieving this.

My most heartfelt congratulations to all Pakistani athletes for making the nation proud.