THE nation is commemorating the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan with fervour. It is time to celebrate the landmark achievements it had made in different walks of life, including sports, but also to ponder on the sports nose-dive for the last quarter-of-a-century.

Sports used to be the hallmark after partition and the youth belonging to different religions who opted to migrate to Pakistan settled quickly and started making their mark in track and field and other sports.

The first Pakistan National Games, inaugurated by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, at the former Polo Ground on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road in Karachi on April 23, 1948 set the ball rolling.

Concurrently, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) was founded in Karachi and Ahmed E. H. Jaffer was elected as its first president. Soon the country became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and made its debut at the London Olympic Games in 1948. Mr. Jaffer was also elected member of the IOC.

A meeting of six Asian countries took place on the sidelines of the London Games on April 8, 1948, and initiated setting-up of the Asian Games. The Asian Federation was formally inaugurated in New Delhi in 1949.

India played host to the inaugural Asian Games at New Delhi in 1951. Held in six disciplines, the Games were participated by 11 countries.

Pakistan, however, made its debut in the second Asian Games held at Manila in 1954. The highlight of the Games was that Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq was declared “Fastest Man of Asia”.

Pakistan bagged the highest number of medals — 28 — at the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962.

To date, Pakistan had fetched a total of 10 Olympic medals: 3–3–4. Eight medals 3-3-2 were won by the hockey teams while the remaining two individual bronze have come through the efforts of Mohammad Bashir in free-style wrestling at the Rome Olympics in 1960 and Syed Hussain Shah in middleweight boxing at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Be it hockey, cricket, squash, snooker, track and field, boxing, wrestling or sailing, there was no stopping for Pakistani sportsmen who virtually ruled the world in global competitions.

Pakistan lifted the ICC World Cup at Melbourne in 1992 under Imran Khan, the ICC Twenty20 World Cup at Lords in 2009 under Younis Khan and the ICC Champions Trophy at the Oval in 2017 under Sarfraz Ahmed.

Besides, there are many other milestones achieved by various Pakistani teams and cricketers.

Pakistan’s Ehsan Mani served as the ICC President from 2003 to 2006 and was followed by former Test cricketer Zaheer Abbas from 2015 to 2016.

Pakistan also earned the honour of hosting the ICC World Cup final at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore in 1996.

After the legendary Hashim Khan, Roshan Khan and Qamar Zaman, Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan dominated the world squash scene for a long time.

Jahangir also served as World Squash Federation (WSF) President followed by Emeritus President of the body.

Pakistan also had the honour of hosting the World Open and World Team Squash championships besides other events in the past.

Pakistan’s name emerged on the world horizon in billiard when cueist Mohammad Yousuf won the world title at Johannesburg in 1994.

Another Pakistani, Mohammad Asif followed in his footsteps and snatched the world title at Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2012.

Prodigy Mohammad Naseem Akhtar is the incumbent world under-18 snooker champion.

There are several cueists, including Mohammad Sajjad, Hamza Akbar and Babar Masih, who have also excelled globally.

Pakistan also earned a rare feat when it possessed four world titles – hockey, cricket, squash and snooker – in 1994.

Pakistan also made its mark and dominated Enterprise Class sailing in Asia for 16 years. Hat’s off to Byram Avari, Goshpi Avari, retired naval Captain Munir Sadiq and the incumbent Chef of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Mohammad Zakaullah. Retired Rear Admiral K. M. Akhtar also excelled in OK Dinghy at the 1982 New Delhi Asiad.

Pakistan also hosted a number of international sailing regattas.

Pakistan’s Prof Anwar Chowdhry reached the pinnacle of his career when he was elected president of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in 1986 and served for a record two decades until 2006.

Over the years, a number of dignitaries have visited Pakistan, including IOC President Lady Killanin (who visited Pakistan in Dec 1977), legendary boxer Mohammad Ali and celebrity judoka Mohammad Hussain Inoki.

Besides Muslims, it would be unwise not to mention Christians, Parsis and Hindus who made significant contribution in sports on merit when Pakistan was in its infancy.

Former Olympian P. P. Fernandes, founding PHF secretary O. B. Nazareth, who is said to have drafted the PHF constitution, ex-Olympians Milton D’Mello and Jack Britto, ex-Test cricketers Wallis Mathais and Antao D’Souza, and former international table-tennis player Michael Rodrigues were prominent Goans among others who did Pakistan proud with their brilliance.

Ex-Test cricketer Danish Kaneria excelled among his community.

Pakistan also played host to the South Asian Games twice in 1989 and 2004, both at Islamabad.

Sprint Queen Naseem Hameed did Pakistan proud when she became the “Fastest South Asian Woman” by winning the 100 metres sprint at Dhaka in 2010.

Pakistan was also supposed to host the Asian Games at Islamabad in 1978 but nothing came of it.

While summing-up the 70-year sports history, we should not forget to pay rich tribute to the great sports administrators: the late Brigadier Rodham and the late Air Marshal Nur Khan.

True, it is time to celebrate the glories but we should also discuss the pros and cons of constant failures soon at some appropriate forums like the Senate and the National Assembly to arrest the decline.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2017