Cricket the only sport with a future in Pakistan and associated problems
As we all know cricket is one of the most loved sports of the Pakistani nation. In fact, at present, if there is any international sport Pakistan is most well known for, it would be cricket. There is no doubt that Pakistan has an exceptional record in the history of international cricket and that cricket is indeed an excellent sport. It has also been the oldest sport being played in the sub-continent; its roots can be traced back to the 18th century. After the creation of Pakistan, cricket thrived and the Pakistani cricket team, over the years, has made an outstanding name for themselves in the international community; they have become one of the most challenging and outstanding teams in the world. So can it be possible that cricket is overshadowing the other sports being played in Pakistan?
The enthusiasm and the energy put in by Pakistani cricket fans are felt as soon as a cricket tournament begins and a match is being played by Pakistan. Many people leave all their work in order to follow these matches which can be seen tuned onto all around in shops, offices and homes. It is amazing how each and every individual is deeply involved in the match. When a match is won, fans express their happiness openly and crowds can be seen out on the streets celebrating; on the other hand when Pakistan looses the grief stricken faces of the fans are very prominent. Such enthusiasm is not visible for any other sport or tournament being played by Pakistan. Nowadays, the FIFA Football World Cup and Wimbledon 2010 are in progress but there is not that much of a hype created by these sports like that created by cricket. There may be many football fans as well as tennis lovers, but it is quite clear that cricket takes the lead in being the most supported and well known sport among the Pakistani nation. All in all, it is quite obvious that our nation has a great interest in cricket, but it is important for us to realize that more attention also needs to be paid to other existing sports.
The problem lies not in the fact that there is no talent among the Pakistani youth for other sports, but it is due to the fact that not many professional players are interested in sports other than cricket, are being given proper funding or support. Football is a sport widely played in schools, parks and homes all over Pakistan, and there are always some players, who could prosper in the field of professional football because of their exceptionally well played game. However, the national Pakistani football team is highly neglected; it has been underdeveloped in Pakistan for years due to lack of management and corruption. It is probably due to this that the team has still not qualified for the FIFA World Cup or for the Asian Cup Championships. This has resulted in tremendous football talent present in Pakistan to go to waste. This lack of attention being paid to football can be partially blamed on cricket getting all the attention whatsoever.
Also, if we look at any other sport, for example tennis, we see that there are loads of tennis players in Pakistan but rarely one sees a Pakistani play in an international tennis tournament. It was a major breakthrough to see Aisam ul Haq reach an international level of tennis like that of Wimbledon. He earned the position of being the second Pakistani to ever reach the second round in the Wimbledon men’s singles. The Pakistani nation needs more individuals like him, who are willing to put their athletic talent to use.
It is sad that many Pakistani athletes do not feel the need to pursue their career in any other sport rather than cricket. However, they are not at fault for this. All the good sponsors are taken up by cricket and most of the money is invested into professional cricket which leaves other sports ignored. This does not mean that cricket should stop flourishing in Pakistan it merely means that other sports should also be promoted at a similar level.
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