One gauge of the state of sporting activities in any country is the situation of its sports shops and outlets.

In Pakistan’s biggest city, Karachi, sports shops appear to be thriving, with some old and well-known sports shops having opened new branches in different parts of the city. At the same time, there are several such shops, once considered institutions, that have unfortunately closed down.

Eos visited sports goods shops in different areas of the city to see how they were doing. It was understood from the very beginning that each area caters to a different clientele.

A BINARY WORLD

For example, Ronaldo Sports, located in the Badar Commercial Area of the upscale Defence locality, is known to focus more on football-related equipment and gear. But what else would you expect with a name like ‘Ronaldo Sports’?

“The footballs we keep here are reasonably priced, around 1,400 to 2,800 rupees,” says the person managing Ronaldo Sports. “People even bargain over those prices and we rarely sell footballs that are costlier,” he adds. “If they knew the price of goods used by professionals, they would faint,” he chuckles.

How are sports shops faring in a changing era of sporting preferences, and what can they tell us about the state of sports in the country?

The shopkeeper says that buyers at his shop have a clear preference for cricket- and football-related equipment, as opposed to other sports. “We mostly have tape ball bats, and they can range from anywhere between 1,000 to as high as 8,000 rupees, depending upon the bat’s make and material.”

There is also no shortage of customers at the popular Lords Sports, near Clifton Bridge. It opened its doors in 1982 and expanded to a second branch, in the city’s high-end Zamzama Commercial Area, more than a decade ago.

The visitors vary in age, but it’s the younger ones that seem to have all the questions for the shopkeepers. “The older lot is usually here to buy, or bargain over, something for their children or grandchildren,” Salman Iqbal, the owner of the shop, tells Eos.

He says the youngsters mostly look for footballs, cricket bats and, during summers, swimming equipment. “Swimming goods are our biggest sellers this time of year. We load up on swimming costumes, goggles, caps, etc,” he says.

Footballs remain equally popular, according to Iqbal, with a starting price of around Rs1,500. “They may go up to 8,000 rupees,” he says, adding that the price is reasonable because they are locally manufactured.

“In fact, 60 to 70 percent of the world’s soccer balls are manufactured in Pakistan, but they are not sold here,” says Iqbal, before adding that the price would deter most buyers anyway. “These export quality balls, if they were available that is, would cost 30,000 to 40,000 rupees here,” he points out.

“The same is the story of hard ball bats. The best ones are made from English willow, though their handles are made of cane, and cost 20,000 rupees or more,” he explains.

He then shows Eos the Kashmir willow bat, which starts at around Rs7,000, and the eucalyptus bat, which is the cheapest, between Rs2,000 to Rs4,000. He adds that bats made in India are extremely popular, similar to footballs in Pakistan.

BEYOND CRICKET AND FOOTBALL

When asked about the interest in hockey-related equipment, Iqbal says that buyers are extremely rare. “Recently, two Argentinian women came to our shop looking for hockey sticks. That was our first sale of hockey sticks in a very long time.”

He says, however, that, despite low demand, they try to ensure every kind of sporting equipment is available at their store, including equipment for snowboarding and ice skating.

Asked if they also kept roller blades, Iqbal nods. “But we could never compete with the market at Lighthouse, where used goods are sold.”

Lords has China-manufactured roller blades, which cost around Rs4,000. “The ones sold at Lighthouse may be used, but they are of better quality,” adds Iqbal.

Our discussion then moves to racquet sports, with Iqbal saying that most racquets are being manufactured in China, and that they have become costlier. “For instance, the Wilson and Babolat tennis racquets from China cost 80,000 rupees. Professional squash racquets may cost at least 30,000 to 40,000 rupees, and badminton racquets are also imported from China,” he continues.

Iqbal explains that the low cost of material and manufacturing, including labour, in China has resulted in production moving there. “They are no longer made in Sialkot,” he adds.

Another shop that dates back to the eighties is Gander Sports on Allama Iqbal Road, off Tariq Road. As I eye the hockey stick, longer than five feet, adorning the shop’s display window, the shop manager comes over.

“This one is only for display,” says Zahid Siddiq, who looks after the shop, before adding: “No one wants to buy even normal-sized hockey sticks. The last one we sold, a fibreglass hockey stick, was six months ago,” he says. It’s a sad commentary on the official national sport of Pakistan.

“Most of our customers are young kids these days and they come for swimming gear, especially floaters. Meanwhile, the older ones want footballs, cricket kits, padel rackets, original [football and cricket] jerseys, etc.”

He says that padel ball and pickleball are the latest craze in Pakistan among youngsters. “The padel racquets are imported from South Korea or the US, and one racquet costs around 20,000 rupees,” he says.

There used to be other quite well-known sports goods shops in Karachi, which have vanished. Nazir Sports on Kashmir Road and Universal Sports on Shahrah-i-Iraq, to name a few, used to house high quality sports equipment, including for professional and serious buyers. Nazir Sports is nowhere to be found and Universal Sports has been sealed with a brick wall.

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

A favourite haunt of sports lovers, over the years, have been the sports goods shops at Lighthouse in the city’s downtown area. It is the biggest sports goods market in the city, where one can find new and used equipment and gear for both outdoor and indoor games, such as carrom, inexpensive copies of big brands and even some original stuff from China and Iran.

The customers are mostly teenagers, and even younger children, looking for bargains on sportswear or equipment.

At the market, a teenager, who plays for a local cricket academy, hunts for cricketing gear, while a mother searches for a basketball for her son, while a bunch of boys sift through piles of football shoes. At another shop, a young woman buys a full body swimsuit, and a school sports teacher looks at various shields and trophies.

In short, Lighhouse has something for everyone, except, it seems, padel players. Padel racquets are not available in the market, but one shopkeeper tells Eos that this is the first time someone has inquired about them. “If more people come here asking for it, we may start keeping them,” the shopkeeper adds.

In the midst of it, a woman asks another shopkeeper for a better-quality product. The instant response is: “This is the best you will find here, madam. You are not shopping for the Pakistan team, are you?”

There is a wide gulf between those looking to get into sports for recreational reasons and those intending to pursue sports professionally, but one can argue that it is the enthusiasm for sports that encourages some to get more serious about it. Sports infrastructure is also woefully lacking.

But as it is, there is an even wider gulf between the enthusiasm for sports in the country and what enthusiasts’ pockets can afford.

The writer is a member of staff. X: @HasanShazia

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 28th, 2024