By Iftikhar Mashwani
The collapse of sports in Pakistan is big quandary on national level. This fall is result of years of neglect, corruption and incompetence. Around 30 years ago there was a world champion in cricket, hockey, squash and amateur snooker, unnecessary interference has brought the sports to the brink of collapse.
Pakistan’s defeat to Afghanistan during in the ongoing Cricket World Cup in India and Pakistan’s poor performance in the recently concluded Asian Games have significantly damaged the sports sector especially cricket.
Pakistan won its fourth Hockey World Cup in 1994, apart from Australia, no other team has won four Hockey World Cups. Australia is the only country in squash that has more than Pakistan’s six World Team Championship titles.
John Sher Khan was the champion eight times between 1987 and 1996, while in 1988 he was defeated by Jahangir Khan. The Pakistan hockey team last qualified for the 2012 Olympics in London.
According to a Pakistani journalist covering the ongoing Cricket World Cup, the Pakistani team has never looked as helpless as it did against Afghanistan. He says that today Pakistan cricket lacks leadership like the country. Poor performance is due to inappropriate politics and undue influence of the government.
