The 32nd Olympic Games ended with America winning. At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the United States won 39 gold medals, while Pakistan did not win any medals in this world event.
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem raised gave hopes of a medal in the javelin throw event but failed to win a medal despite his best efforts in the final. Many questions were raised about Pakistan’s worst performance in the Olympics and the biggest question remains unanswered that as usual why did we fail in the games?
Pakistani contingent
At the Tokyo Olympics 2021, Pakistan’s contingent consisted of 10 athletes. In a country with a population of over 220 million, the Olympic Association found only 10 athletes who could represent Pakistan in a world event.
Surprisingly, out of 10, only 4 qualified and the remaining 6 became part of the Olympics on wild card entries but 9 Pakistani athletes failed to perform well, Arshad Nadeem fought hard for the medal but Pakistan’s dream of winning a medal remained a dream.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games are the most popular sports competitions in the world, consisting of summer and winter sports, and thousands of athletes from all over the world take part in them.
The Olympic Games are considered to be the most important competition in the world in which more than 200 nations participate. The Olympic Games host winter and summer competitions every four years, with a two-year gap between the two Olympics.
Honors of Pakistan
Pakistan has so far won 10 medals in the Olympic Games, of which 8 medals were won by the national hockey team while one was won by wrestler Muhammad Bashir and one by boxer Hussain Shah. by winning bronze medals in 1976 and 1992.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Muhammad Bashir won a bronze medal in 73kg wrestling and Hussain Shah won a bronze medal in 1988. However, the situation now is that the national hockey team could not qualify for the two Olympics. The country with a population of 22 crores did not win a single medal this year.
Pakistan Olympic Association
The Pakistan Olympic Association is the National Olympic Committee of Pakistan. After the formation of Pakistan in 1947, this committee came into existence in 1949 and since then Pakistan has won only 10 medals. Hassan says that there is no system to nurture talent in the country, it is acceptable, but attention needs to be paid from the root to the elite training level.
Arshad Nadeem has had a very good performance, Talha Talib knew that he is a very good weightlifter, both were sure that he would be in a good position in the Olympics but unfortunately, no Pakistani athlete could win a medal.
Annual sports budget
Under the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, over Rs. 3 billion has been allocated in the federal budget for various ongoing and new sports projects across the country for the next financial year. At least Rs. 2 billion out of 23 crores have been spent till June 2021.
The total estimated cost for 18 new projects is Rs. 4 billion of which Rs. 2 billion has been allocated in the current budget for the next financial year.
Lack of resources
Sport is a very important activity for a healthy life. Sport refers to any activity that plays an important role in mental and physical development and refreshes our body and mind. Therefore, sport is not only a source of entertainment, but it also keeps our body healthy and fit. The sports sector in Pakistan has always been neglected and the situation is that today the national game of hockey has no name.
Sports federations are frustrated by the lack of significant steps for the development of sports. Prime Minister Imran Khan himself has been a World Cup-winning player in Pakistan. He needed to focus more on sports, but under the current government, the decline of sports is continuously being declined.
Instead of ignoring the sports sector, the government should address the issue of lack of resources so as to give a healthy society to future generations as well as bring honor and dignity to the country and the nation at the international level.
