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By Abdullah Niazi
t was an agonising watch this month as not one but two Pakistani athletes made it close to the medals podium at the Tokyo Olympics. Talha Talib from Gujranwala and Arshad Nadeem from Mian Channu both finished in fifth place. Their close brush with bronze means Pakistan’s olympic medal drought has extended from 29 years to at least 32 - with the next chance at success coming in Rio 2024. Since the games ended, there has been a fierce back and forth over who is responsible. Blame has naturally been directed towards the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and its longstanding chairman Lt Gen (r) Arif Hasan. The POA has in turn responded and pointed out that they are simply responsible for promoting olympic values and player development falls squarely under the jurisdiction of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) run by the federal ministry of Interprovincial Coordination (IPC). The truth lies somewhere in between. It seems that both the PSB and the POA are happy to point fingers at each other and let the whole matter die down in a whirlwind of confusion and
SPORTS
accusations. However, both are to blame for different aspects of Pakistan’s Olympics woes. Much has been made of the squalid conditions in which athletes have to train in Pakistan and how they have to fund themselves to make it to the games. This story will focus on where the money comes from, or at least where it should come from, for olympic athletes and why we should be spending more not just on our olympians but all players of different sports.
The Olympics
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efore we begin discussing Pakistan’s Olympic failures, it is necessary to try and understand how the Olympics work. Here is the first thing you need to know: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not give a single dime, cent, or rupee to any athlete for participating in the games. They also do not provide travel and lodging. Most countries have their own Olympic Committees that provide travel and lodging as well as coaches and support staff to athletes, but even in the United States of America (USA), athletes do not get salaries unless their sport, their team, their federation, or they personally have been sponsored by a private organization or individual. As such, being an Olympian is not
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