PTF's incompetence responsible for downfall
By Hameed ul Haq
It was very sad to see Pakistan's 30 year old Aqeel Khan and 28 year old Jaleel Khan playing reverse singles against Philippines. Usually, when the tie is decided, teams put their junior players in the dead singles so they can have experience of playing Davis Cup. What is shocking is that Pakistan team had no young player, the youngest being Yasir Khan at 21.

Dim light at the end of the tunnel
Raheem Khan was the only hero in the Pakistan camp as he won the country's solitary medal at the inaugural Asian Youth Games
By Abdul Ahad Farshori
The inaugural Asian Youth Games held in Singapore from June 29 to July 7 acted as qualifiers for the Asian countries for the 1st Summer Youth Olympics to be staged in 2010 also in Singapore.

Many eyebrows were raised when Ireland defeated Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup. The mysterious demise of coach Bob Woolmer complicated the issue further as different quarters attributed Woolmer's death to international match-fixing scandals in cricket about which the late Englishman knew a lot.

Unfortunately match-fixing has been around as long as sport itself. The ancient Olympics were almost constantly dealing with allegations of athletes accepting bribes to lose a competition. Chariot racing was also dogged by race fixing throughout the history. But with nature of modern sports gambling, the fixing of matches has become easier and is rapidly becoming a serious threat to sport.

To fix a match without getting caught take expert knowledge of human nature in order to convince player or referees and umpires to help get the desired result. The method of approaching those individuals is the very key to successful match fixing, says Declan Hill a renowned sport journalist from Canada who spent several years in researching the subject of match fixing. The best fixers he added only need to establish contact with just a single player, who is then used to recruit others in a classic "pyramid" network.

Murali Krishnan an Indian journalist states that Indian punters wagered an estimate US$40 billion over the course of year 2007-08, primarily thanks to IPL and ICL where cricketers from all over the world assembled to make the fortune. He further states that it's such a lucrative market for the bookmakers that organised crime has a vested interest in the outcome of every ball delivered in a match.

The nature of cricket lends itself to several different opportunities to bet. Often fixing will not involve the result of a match, but may instead revolve around a particular delivery bowled by a bowler as wide or no ball, an over given to a relatively weak bowler in the presence of a better bowler, unnecessary change in batting order, wrong field placing, dropping a sitter or a suicidal run-out at the crucial time.

Who doesn't know about Hanise Cronje's involvement in the fixing of international matches. Just before the 2007 World Cup Marlon Samuels of West Indies was accused in match-fixing by police from Indian city of Nagpur. The telephone conversation was with a well-known bookmaker, Mukesh Kochchar centred on the next day's play, including who would be bowling at what stage of the day, and the starting line-up of the West Indies team.

Samuels' case is just one of the many instances including number of leading Pakistani players in past who were being tempted by the financial rewards of match-fixing. The Justice Qayyum report is a well-known document that suggested life bans on Salim Malik and Mushtaq Ahmed. Qayyum also suggested heavy fines on Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, Waqar Younis and Inzamam. However, Malik has been recently exonerated from charges.

Rashid Latif has much to revile in his website (www.rashidlatif.8k.com) about the dirty business of match-fixing.

Apart from Pakistani stars, players from Australia and umpires like Cyrill Mitchley were involved in the lucrative business. Yet few have been charged by ICC because of non-cooperation of respective cricket boards who don't want to get exposed in this dirty affair.

Two Indian bookmakers Jagdish Sodha and Shobhan Mehta are particularly notorious in the cricket world for multimillion dollar match-fixing. Sodha a businessman from Indian film industry has been accused of bribing players including Maurice Odumbe of Kenya to fix certain aspect of matches.

Though cricket because of its format is classically suited for match-fixing, yet the world's most popular sport football is even heavily involved in legal and illegal match-fixing internationally.

Declan Hill has scrutinised 137 fixed football matches from around the world to know how match-fixing is carried out in the sport. Hill says that fixed games are not often played in the way people may think. It is only the bad fixed games that have aroused the suspicions of fans. He further states that midfielders and goalkeepers are the key involvers in match-fixing.

According to Hill there are two types of fixed matches: the arranged ones, where the team's poker faced officials are the corrupters, and the gambling ones where only one of the players does the fixing.

The flow of money in professional sport is so widespread that misuse of office, corruption and criminality are the inevitable byproducts and players are the losers every time.

In the year 2000 Brazilian Lower House of Congress published an 800 page report on football and crime, which named 33 football leaders as being involved in criminal activities. A similar Senate report of 1600 pages asked for the indictment of 17 football leaders. The list was headed by the president of the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Recardo Teixeira.

In 2005, a German referee, Robert Hoyzer, was convicted of match-fixing. At the time, FIFA president Sepp Blatter characterised the case as "one-off". But the review of articles about match-fixing published in international media during the period from Jan 2005 to April 2006 paints radically different picture. The media reported more than 25 cases of match-fixing allegations and convictions from more than 20 football-playing countries in four different continents.

English bookmakers alone handle more than four billion pounds a year and 40 per cent of that involves football.

The match-fixing practices are not just common in cricket and football but evidence shows NBA and NFL's involvement in this dirty practice.

One wonders that despite strict monitoring and transparency the crooks don't hesitate to make fortunes in sport both in advanced and third world countries. However, it is easy for the big time operators and international match-fixing gangs to influence players and officials in third world where many loop holes exist in law.

Corruption in sport unfortunately does not leave behind a paper trail and the people you would not suspect are often the people behind these dangerous liaisons.

After the loss of Galle Test the author approached the PCB authorities for their comments on "mysterious" and "sudden" collapse of Pakistan batting line-up but no responsible person was available to say anything about it.

A word of caution is for the sport lovers and fair-minded sports experts and television commentators to keep a close eye on the mysterious errors by players and officials, how clean they may look so that the dirty practice of match-fixing can be curbed, giving the deserving a chance to excel on an even playing field.

Pakistan tennis went through an awful time last week. After weeks of hard work both at home and abroad earlier this summer, the country's Davis Cuppers flopped miserably in their Asia-Oceania Group-II second round tie against the Philippines in Manila.

Though the score-line read 3-2 in favour of the hosts, it was quite misleading. The Pakistanis, who roared like lions in the lead-up to the July 10-12 Davis Cup tie, succumbed tamely like lambs on the clay courts in Manila where the Philippines had a cake walk on the first two days, wrapping up the first day's singles and Saturday's doubles match to take a winning 3-0 lead in the best-of-five tie. Pakistan only woke up from their slumber after the battle was lost to win the reverse singles on the final day.

For Pakistan, it wasn't just the matter of a lost Davis Cup match.

The result also exposed two very alarming problems facing our tennis. Firstly, it once again became obvious that Pakistan stand nowhere on the Davis Cup arena without their most successful player -- Aisam-ul-Haq. Secondly and more importantly, that Aisam cannot be trusted.

The Lahore-based player deserted his teammates at the eleventh hour as he decided to stay in USA and feature in the doubles event of an ATP tournament instead of joining the Pakistan team in Manila. It was just a day before the start of the tie that the bombshell was dropped on the national team that had been heavily relying on Aisam in its past Davis Cup campaigns and was once again looking towards him to shepherd them to a much-needed win against the Philippines. A victory in Manila would have earned Pakistan a date with New Zealand in the final of the event in September. Pakistan have beaten the Kiwis in the past and could have conquered them again for a promotion to Asia-Oceania Group-I tournament in 2010.

Aisam is fully aware how important he is to the Pakistan Davis Cup team. Without him, Pakistan stand little chance of winning tough away ties like the won they played and lost against the Philippines. But even then, he ditched his compatriots at the last moment selfishly putting individual gains ahead of national duty.

It was hardly surprising when Aqeel -- Aisam's long-time Davis Cup partner -- lashed out at the Lahore player for ditching the national team.

"We were just led down by Aisam," a dejected Aqeel told 'The News on Sunday'.

"We were in with a chance to get a promotion this year," lamented Aqeel.

"Till a few days before the tie, Aisam was telling the team management that he will soon arrive in Manila to join the team," said Aqeel. "When we were finally told that he (Aisam) will not be playing for us, it was really disappointing. It really dented our morale."

Aqeel is of the view Aisam should have placed national duty over his personal ambitions.

"He (Aisam) shouldn't have done it. I mean, as a sportsman he knows you can't back out at the last moment. He should have told the team management in advance about his decision so that we would have been mentally prepared to take on the Philippines without him," said Aqeel.

Some critics, however, are of the view that Aisam just chickened out of the tough tie in hot and humid Manila because the injury-prone player was too afraid to take on a dangerous opposition in difficult conditions.

But Aqeel doesn't agree. "I don't think Aisam was scared. He is a very good player and I'm sure he would have beaten them (Filipino players) in any conditions."

Aisam's last-minute withdrawal from the Manila tie and Pakistan's tame loss there, have raised many questions for the country's tennis authorities.

For them its time to decide whether they wanted to keep showing faith in the likes of Aisam or opt for pumping in new blood in the Pakistan team.

It is true that without Aisam, Pakistan cannot hope to win Davis Cup battles against the region's better teams. But can this player be trusted after what he did to the team by staying away from Manila?

It was very sad to see Pakistan's 30 year old Aqeel Khan and 28 year old Jaleel Khan playing reverse singles against Philippines. Usually, when the tie is decided, teams put their junior players in the dead singles so they can have experience of playing Davis Cup. What is shocking is that Pakistan team had no young player, the youngest being Yasir Khan at 21.

After losing nine straight sets and not even getting into a tie breaker in any of the sets, the Pakistani management was desperate to win the reverse singles and wasted the chance for our younger players to get experience. As a result Pakistan won the two dead rubbers against 17-year-old boys and that too after a hard fight. But these were meaningless wins and wasted the chance for the younger players to get valuable experience.

It needs to be pointed out that only two years ago, with Aisam not playing, a fit and well-trained Pakistani team fought a close battle against this same team. Aqeel won his match and Pakistan gave a good fight before losing the doubles match in four sets.

Earlier, the Pakistan Davis Cup team was scheduled to depart from Pakistan on June 17 to participate in three ITF Futures tournaments in Malaysia. However, because of usual negligence of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, the required visas could not be arranged on time. As a result of this, the team could only leave in the last week of June and had to miss out on the crucial first two Futures.

Those who understand tennis will tell you that playing only one Futures event is good for nothing in view of time, surface and difference in overall local conditions. Since these three Futures were crucial for the preparation of our Davis Cup team, and after missing the two future tournaments Pakistan team was bound to suffer a serious setback.

For a crucial tie such as Davis Cup, things are decided at least three to four months in advance. But as a direct result of the PTF's incompetence, the Pakistan team's performance in the only tournament they could play in Malaysia was disastrous. Three of the players were trounced in the qualifying round. Aqeel Khan lost badly in the second round of the main draw. This shows the mismanagement of PTF due to which the players had to miss the first two tournaments. If the visas had been arranged on time the players could have played all three tournaments and warmed up well for the Davis Cup tie against Philippines in Manila.

Meanwhile, Jibran Muhammadi, known as a 'doubles specialist' by PTF, was sent along with the Pakistan Davis Cup team. He lost in the second qualifying round of men's singles and moreover he didn't even participate in the doubles event in the Malaysian futures.

The PTF's list of blunders does not end here.

Because of their lack of competence, one of Pakistan's best sporting shows in recent times failed to get highlighted in Pakistan. Aisam ul Haq and his Indian partner Prakash Amritraj, son of legendary Vijay Amritraj, teamed up to win two back to back five-set doubles matches in the main draw at Wimbledon. While the Indian media were jubilant and reported this event well, the PTF, thanks to the usual lack of attention did not communicate Aisam's heroics to the President, the Prime Minister of and the nation. This is the only third time (first in 1976 Haroon Rahim, second in 2002 Aisam ul Haq), that a Pakistani player has progressed to the third round of a Wimbledon doubles event.

The inaugural Asian Youth Games held in Singapore from June 29 to July 7 acted as qualifiers for the Asian countries for the 1st Summer Youth Olympics to be staged in 2010 also in Singapore.

The spectacle saw an estimated 1300 athletes aged between 14 and 17 from 43 countries -- all members of the Olympic Council of Asia.

There were a total of 10 sports -- Athletics, Beach volleyball, Bowling, Diving, FIBA 33 (Basketball), Football, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Table tennis -- the nine sports were those which Singapore and the Olympic Council of Asia trimmed down from the 26 YOG sports as well as an addition sport of Bowling which is not an official Olympics Sport.

The Games themed 'Asia's Youth, Our Future', had 'Frasia', which means Friends of Asia, as the official mascot for the Games. The mascot embodies the values and spirit of the Asian Youth Games. The sprightly lion exemplifies friendship, respect and excellence. It constitutes a spirited representation of young hearts and minds in pursuit of sporting excellence.

The organisation of the Games, spearheaded by the Singapore Sports Council, cost S$15 million, which was part of the $130 million for YOG.

At the end of the competition, the People's Republic of China met expectations to top the medal tally. Host Singapore exceeded its own pre-games target of winning five medals of any colour by six times to finish at fourth position just behind Southeast Asian sporting powerhouse Thailand.

Whereas Pakistan finished, at 21st position, at the end of the table with only 1 bronze medal to their name, while India finished seventh with a tally of eleven medals including 5 gold.

A 39-member contingent, including officials, was representing Pakistan at the Games. Out of the ten Pakistan fielded it's players in five sports -- Football, Sailing, Swimming, Table Tennis, Athletics.

Football team was the first to return home from the Games as they failed to move past the qualifying round. Pakistan -- who had been kept in Group B -- with China, South Korea and Myanmar, had finished third in the group by taking two points by virtue of two drawn encounters against China (0-0) and Myanmar (1-1) after the Greenshirts had lost to South Korea by 0-2 margin in their opener.

Like football, Pakistan failed to make a mark in all the other events it participated in. Two Pakistani athletes took part in the athletics competitions of the Asian Youth Games. Wajiha Karim, who belongs to Muzaffargarh, did not impress in the heat of 100 metres race and finished last in group of seven athletes.

Raheem Khan was the only hero in the Pakistan camp as he won the only medal (bronze) to do his country proud. His 60.70 metres javelin throw earned him the bronze medal.

Raheem -- a village boy from Tehsil Bhalwal, Sargodha -- claimed in an interview with 'The News' that he didn't even had proper sporting shoes for the event and he was also injured at the time of the finals of the javelin throw. But in spite of all this he came through and earned some respect for the country which at one point seemed to be returning home empty handed from the games.

Meanwhile, Pakistani sailors struggled on Byte CII course. In the boys race, Muhammad Mustafa Ahmad ended at no 12 out of the 12 competitors with an aggregate 106 penalty points. Similarly, in the Byte CII girls, Palwasha Salahuddin Khattak was at the seventh place out of nine competitors with 62 penalty points.

In an other, Pakistan, comprising Abeera Ali, Syed Anns and Tabish Khursheed, bowed out of the Mixed Team event in the table tennis competition after facing straight set defeats at the hands of their Group A opponents China, Thailand, North Korea and Vietnam, finishing at the lowest ebb in the five-team group with just four points to their credit.

The two swimmers -- Ghulam Muhammad and his sister Ghulam Sakina -- representing Pakistan failed to get any breakthrough in the Games. Ghulam Muhammad finished fourth in heat of 100 metres freestyle out of the five competitors. He clocked 1:01.50 minutes. Whereas, his sister Ghulam Sakina's performance was even more pathetic as she finished last out of the eight swimmers in 200 metres backstroke heat by clocking 2:46.16 minutes.

With this dismal show put on by our athletes in the Youth Games, which also serve as qualifiers for the YOG, it is high time that our concerned authorities should start paying attention to the development of the sportsmen from the grassroot level.

With little or no upcoming talent Pakistan may face a medal drought in the major sporting events, like Youth Olympics 2010, Olympics 2012, unless necessary measures are taken to boost sports in the new generation.

A below-par performance at the Beijing Olympics, the Asian Beach Games and now the Asian Youth Games didn't seem to have any impact on the approach of the federations, busy in their own tug-of-war.

With the collapse of Pakistan's team at the AYG all hope, of light at the end of the tunnel, seems to be lost for a nation already depressed by internal chaos.

As for the AYG, it was a great event to inspire youth towards the sports. The purpose of the Games was to allow youths to use the chance to benchmark their performances against youth teams from Asian nations.

The only mishap during the games was of an athlete from Philippines who was participating in the football matches came down with H1N1 flu, swine flu, causing Malaysia to withdraw its athletes (with the exception of their sailors) due to concerns over the H1N1 outbreak.