One must not lose hope
By Malik Arshed Gilani
It is always a pleasure to return to Lords on a sunny summer’s day to watch a Test match. This is made doubly pleasurable when Geoffrey Boycott is kind enough to meet you at the lift entrance to assist one into the sanctum of the Media Centre. This allows one to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances which include some great commentators like Michael Holding, Henry Bloefeld, Sir Ian Botham and the like. Not to leave out members of the journalistic world like Andy Jalil who really has covered more Tests at Lords than some other people one knows.

Colombo calling
Following in the footsteps of Pakistan Cricket buffs in the pearl island are looking forward to a T20 fiesta that will feature Pakistan’s top players including Boom Boom Afridi
By Dilanka Mannakkara
Hi, Assalamu-alekum and Ayubowan to all the readers. For those who don’t know “Ayubowan” it is the Sri Lankan way of greeting and it means “wish you long life”.
Let’s get on to the more serious topic -- cricket.

Football big spenders on the move again
By Nabeel Hashmi
It is the start of July and the football transfer activity is only going to heat up as cash-rich clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid look to show their financial muscle in order to make a clear statement that they mean business just like they have done in the past by ruling the list of money spenders.

Danish Atlas eyes world junior crown
Pakistan’s squash officials are hoping that their boys will do well in the World Junior Championships in Belgium later this month
By Bilal Hussain
Pakistan may have become a shadow of their former selves in the world of squash but there are still a few youngsters, who give the country some hope of reviving its lost glory. Danish Atlas is one such talented lad, who is hoping to be a world champion just like his illustrious uncle Jansher Khan.

Kiran, Israr make waves in the pool
By Alam Zeb Safi
As usual, Pakistan Army reigned supreme at the 51st National Men’s and Women’s Open Swimming and Water Polo Championships held at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad from June 24-26. In the men’s section, Army claimed the crown with 548 points and their glorious effort included 16 gold, nine silver and six bronze medals. WAPDA, who have been bringing improvement in their standard, ended as runners-up with 268 points which they secured by virtue of three gold, ten silver and ten bronze medals. Navy with 78 points finished third with three bronze medals. Punjab (30 points), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (16 points), Sindh (12 points), Higher Education Commission (5 points), Islamabad and Balochistan, all failed to win any medal.

 

One must not lose hope

It is always a pleasure to return to Lords on a sunny summer’s day to watch a Test match. This is made doubly pleasurable when Geoffrey Boycott is kind enough to meet you at the lift entrance to assist one into the sanctum of the Media Centre. This allows one to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances which include some great commentators like Michael Holding, Henry Bloefeld, Sir Ian Botham and the like. Not to leave out members of the journalistic world like Andy Jalil who really has covered more Tests at Lords than some other people one knows.

This name dropping does have a reason. The pleasure of meeting such names and hearing their views on world cricket has a downside if you come from Pakistan. One has to hear their frank remarks on the state of the game and its management in our country. If you are of a proud national bent of mind, it hurts. Whilst agreeing whole heartedly with them one cannot show this and one is forced to find a defense. This is as difficult as the job the defense counsel will have in defending the slayer of the late Salman Taseer. May Allah bless the departed soul?

To change the subject of conversation with the cricket experts away from Pakistan, one dilated on the news that the last World Cup final in India had some two billion dollars wagered on the result. One pointed out that some 80 percent of this was black money sourced from India which is the basic cause of corruption in cricket. One then opined that the IPL is perceived as another cricket event which though blessed by the ICC is totally without any check on spot-betting. One shared the thought that there is considerable weightage in the charge that cricketers from all countries participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) are in one way or another involved. The interesting point for the readers may be that without naming names this latter view had much support. The general comment however was that ‘we cannot fight this’. We have to make a living.

In spite of every thing it is always a pleasure to be home. The pleasure seems to reduce each successive time. Reality hits one  at the immigration when the average expatriate Pakistani who slaves to send money back home which keeps us afloat has to wait whilst some ‘VIP’ who has stolen from his home country is provided express service. For what it is worth one protested loudly. This does cause our middle level civil servants some concern.

I am not yet fully up to date with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) affairs. But it is good to see that with Subhan Ahmed at the helm, his vast experience with the PCB is standing him in good stead. The main players in the PCB remain the same and the individuals that make up the disciplinary committee do not have a past that is unblemished but at least some order is now restored. I believe the main reason for the improvement is that Ijaz Butt is doing himself and all of us a big favour by reserving all his remarks.

One cannot help but notice that the PCB is once again using cudgels to keep players in line. I believe discipline amongst the contracted players is a must and they must toe the PCB line. When, however, a player retires an NOC must not be used to stifle his right to an opinion. Every cricketer has a right to earn a living. If he chooses to not play for his country for whatever reason and is not a contracted player then the NOC cannot be used to shut his mouth. I am glad to see that Afridi used legal recourse to bring the PCB on line to follow the correct path. I wonder if he will ever pay the fine.

The ICC meets as one writes this piece. It is fair to say that our representative at that meeting is not a personality of choice and will not have too many people on his side. The Indian lobby appears to be using its financial muscle to lead the changes in the existing system in directions which naturally are only to their own benefit. If one is of the ‘conspiracy’ school of thought then one must presume it will not be in the interest of Pakistan. One can only hope that the other permanent members of the ICC will recognize that Indian interests are not necessarily in line with each of their own nor in the interest of the game. This will thus prevent too much harm coming to Pakistan. Sadly, I personally do not expect that the PCB chairman will be able to fight our battle effectively.

I see a light at the end of the PCB tunnel from the news that Ijaz Butt is proceeding on leave at the end of the ICC meeting. Could this be leave preparat\ory to retirement? We live on hope.

May the ‘power that is’ please, please ensure that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train!

 

malikgilani2002@gmail.com

 

Colombo calling

Hi, Assalamu-alekum and Ayubowan to all the readers. For those who don’t know “Ayubowan” it is the Sri Lankan way of greeting and it means “wish you long life”.

Let’s get on to the more serious topic -- cricket.

We live in a world full of controversies and Pakistan and Sri Lanka are no strangers to it. Sri Lankan and Pakistani cricket have many similarities of the way they play cricket which is entertaining, exhilarating and I personally believe that both countries produce the best young, raw talent in the cricketing world. Pakistan cricket is exciting, mysterious as well as full of news with Zulqarnain Haider, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Ijaz Butt making the headlines regularly for different reasons. Sri Lanka Cricket seem to be following Pakistani as they have given Pakistan a tough competition in who gets the most number of hits for top notch news with unbelievable twists and turns as well as politics. Sri Lanka cricket has made headlines in the past two months mostly for all the wrong reasons.

Sri Lanka -- the new hub of controversies

It started with the resignation of skipper Kumar Sangakkara after the bitter defeat at the hands of India in Mumbai in the World cup final. Then his best mate Mahela Jayawardena followed by stepping down as vice-captain of the team. Next in line was former master batsman and chief selector Aravinda de Silva who resigned and left the shores as well, adding to the fact that he was criticised by several counterparts for making “four changes” in the all important final of the World Cup.

We, in Colombo, thought that that was it. Facebook statuses were full of comments on the bombshell resignations of the big three. People organised events on Facebook to “bring Sanga back”. Then the new selectors headed by Duleep Mendis installed the aggressive Tilakaratne Dilshan as the new captain but did not a name a vice-captain for the English tour.

Then came another bombshell when former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne claimed that he had evidence against players on “match-fixing”. True that Hashan who is an ex-MP got a lot of publicity even from BBC and CNN but he still has not come up with the “so called evidence” for match-fixing.

Next in line was the IPL cash cow controversy. The IPL matches clashed with the tour of England and Sri Lanka’s fire-brand sports minister said that the players should come back to Sri Lanka by May 5. Not a single player came back on May 5 as the franchises refused to release them. Dilshan managed to get special permission to go on May 11 but the two big guns -- Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara -- captains of two IPL teams, were only present in England for the second practice game and the 16 players in the squad arrived in two batches. The Cardiff mayhem where the Sri Lankans were shot out for 82 in just 24 overs was evidence of a clear lack of preparation for the tough tour. Dilshan was out for the third Test with a thumb injury and a very reluctant Sangakkara was forced to take charge in Rose Bowl.

There’s still more! Opener Upul Tharanga was tested positive for a banned substance and he was handed a ban for three months for all cricket matches. With Tharanga not on the scene anymore and Dilshan injured, the selectors had to name a new captain and an opener for the ODI team. Surprisingly, the selectors opted for Thilina Kandamby as captain instead of the favorite Angelo Mathews. Kandamby, who was even unable to hold a place in the final 15 of the World Cup squad has been elevated to the highest level and hopefully he delivers. But the biggest surprise was this -- veteran Sanath Jayasuriya was parachuted to the one-day squad for a farewell match in front of an “English home crowd”.

Sanath would have earned a lot of respect had he retired while in his prime. Anyways hats off to him for all the memories.

Hang on we are not finished on the controversy list yet. Recently, Sri Lanka’s interim coach Stuart Law announced that he would leave the national team after the ODI series to join Bangladesh after getting a better offer.

SLPL: No Indians, more Pakistanis

In world cricket it is no secret that the Indian cricket board (BCCI) holds a lot of influence and its bargaining power in terms with the ICC is huge. Yes they hold a mammoth viewership and the sponsors line up for them. That’s why even a second choice set of Indian players without the likes of Sachin, Sehwag, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Zaheer, Bhajji were important for the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) to get good TV ratings. But the BCCI has refused to send them and is sticking to its guns.

However, the media tends to forget that even the Pakistani stars are also huge attractions and are money spinners for the broadcasters and sponsors. The Pakistan players who are among the best on the international Twenty20 circuit were not even considered for the Indian Premier League (IPL) for reasons other than cricket and the Pakistan cricket fanatics must be licking their lips for an opportunity to see their stars in the SLPL. The Sri Lankans are huge fans of Pakistanis such as Afridi, Umar Gul and Umar Akmal and the World Cup match between Pakistan and Australia which seemed like a home game for Pakistan playing at Premadasa stadium speaks volumes of the support of the Lankans for Pakistan.

People in the east of our island would support Afridi as captain of the Negenahira Nagas team. The Eastern Province has a majority of Muslims and that must be one major reason why Afridi was selected to captain the Nehenahira side. Hopefully the spat between PCB and Afridi won’t spring up again and he the star allrounder will come here, if not it would be a shame not to have a man made for T20 in the Sri Lankan league.

Cheers for now and see you soon with more!

 

dilan_y2j@yahoo.com

 

Football big spenders on the move again

It is the start of July and the football transfer activity is only going to heat up as cash-rich clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid look to show their financial muscle in order to make a clear statement that they mean business just like they have done in the past by ruling the list of money spenders.

All these clubs are desperate not only to win trophies on domestic front but are also looking to lift all-important UEFA Champions League crown. One thing is certain that no other club would be able to compete with these three clubs in terms of splashing crazy-cash to achieve their transfer targets, as they are continued to be linked with every good footballer on the planet.

They are largely responsible for the present sky high value of the players because they have paid over the odds, which has given other clubs a chance to demand double for their players because they know that their ace would be pouched by big fishes and they could end up with some serious cash to balance their accounts, spend on new arrivals and to reduce their debts.

Other clubs, who have already shown their intent of not to remain behind signing top names are Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus, Malaga, Inter Milan, Tottenham, PSG and Bayern Munich.

Manchester United have already roped in Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea, midfielder Ashley Young and defender Phil Jones.

1. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

Price: £40m

The Arsenal-Barcelona tug-of-war for Cesc Fabregas has entered its third year with Barca trying to bring back Arsenal skipper to Catalan, where he started his trade before being snapped by Arsene Wenger. Fabregas has publicly said that he wants to join his boyhood club and almost all of Barcelona players have said that they will welcome him. The only hindrance would be his price tag by Arsenal, who do not want to lose him for less than the asking price, while Barcelona are not ready to pay that amount.

Interested Clubs: Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

 

2. Neymar (Santos)

Price: £40-50m

The latest Samba striker to have sent shockwaves around the globe like his predecessors Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Pele through his sheer attacking class is the budding Neymar. Pele insisted last year that Neymar is a national asset and he should not be allowed to make a move to Europe. Chelsea and Real Madrid are locked in a seemingly two horse-race battle for his signature.

Interested Clubs: Chelsea and Real Madrid.

 

3. Alexis Sanchez (Udinese)

Price: £40m

The Chilean winger has been rated as the next Cristiano Ronaldo on the horizon with his virtuoso displays for his Italian Club last season in which he struck 12 goals, which is an impressive show for a player starting on the flanks. The young prodigy has a host of admirers and could end up at one of the biggest clubs of the World.

Interested Clubs: Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

 

4. Javier Pastore (Palermo)

Price: £44m

The 21-year-old Argentinean has been in huge demand after scintillating displays in Serie A’s last season. The monitoring clubs have gathered around him for his signature, as they feel that he is going to become the best midfield maestro of his generation. The Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has claimed that they have already rebuffed a big offer and has stressed that if someone wants to buy Pastore the price is £44m.

Interested Clubs: Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

 

5. Sergio Aguero: (Atletico Madrid)

Price: £35m

Aguero has been one of the finest strikers in La Liga scoring goals for fun for his side. Now he looks destined to depart to either arch-rivals Real Madrid or Juventus. His representatives are already planning to work on lowering his buy-out clause so that he could move either of the two clubs.

Interested Clubs: Juventus, Real Madrid, Tottenham and Inter Milan.

 

6. Radamel Falcao and Hulk (FC Porto)

Price: £25-35m and £35m

The Colombian marksman has become one of the most deadly strikers in European football after netting a record 17-goal tally in Europa League and firing Porto to the treble last season. The 25-year-old forward is likely to move to Chelsea to follow his former boss Andre Villas-boas. Meanwhile, his attacking partner Hulk could end up at Manchester City.

Interested Clubs: Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.

 

7. Gareth Bale and Luka Modric (Tottenham Hotspur)

Price: £30m and £35m

Gareth Bale has become one of the most sought out left-sided players of this season after his breathtaking performances in the biggest stage of all Champions League.

His outstanding displays saw him bag PFA player of the year. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has a busy summer ahead as he would not only be working to bring in big names but also to keep hold his star players Bale, Luka Modric and Arron Lennon. Modric is attracting serious interest from Chelsea and Manchester United with Sir Alex Ferguson looking for a creative midfielder to replace Paul Scholes.

Interested Clubs: Manchester United, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester City and Chelsea.

 

8. Marek Hamsik and Edison Cavani (Napoli)

Price: £25m and £40m

Napoli have a huge task ahead to persuade their aces Hamsik and Cavani to stay with the Italian outfit after clinching a Champions League spot by finishing third in Serie A. The Slovakian playmaker wants to move to AC Milan, while Cavani has big list of suitors, who want to board the striker.

Interested Clubs: AC Milan, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham and Juventus.

 

9. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)

Price: £40m

The moody City skipper has endured a frosty relationship with manager Roberto Mancini and could well leave City despite winning the FA Cup and a chance to play in the Champions League. He wishes to be closer to his family in Argentina. A move to Italy or Spain is very much on the cards.

Interested Clubs: Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

 

10. Samir Nasri (Arsenal)

Price: £15m

The Frenchman has become frustrated at the Emirates stadium after failing to secure any silverware and wants to move to another challenge, where he could get his hands on trophies and medals. He is also unwilling to sign a new contract and with only a year left of his current contract, Arsene Wenger would not want to lose player of his caliber on a free. Both Manchester United and Manchester City are interested in signing him.

Interested Clubs: Manchester United, Barcelona, Manchester City and AC Milan.

nabeel_h88@hotmail.com

Roger Federer saw to it that the final four of the men’s singles at this year’s Wimbledon would not be the ones predicted at the start of the tournament, moderately demoralising as must be the gap in average quality between the top four, at most five in the world, and everyone behind them in the rankings. Of the fearsome four, namely Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray, it’s the Swiss erstwhile maestro who failed to make it to the semifinals, and that too after relinquishing a commanding position in a match against Tsonga, allowing the Frenchman to reach his own first Wimbledon semifinal.

Federer was nothing if not enigmatic in the considerably long time when he was in his pomp. Having reached heights of quality that exhausted any and all superlatives, Federer’s ability to do something one would not expect rears its head every so long, but it is more for the bad reasons than the good it seems, and the result more often than not makes for painful watching.

Federer came out of the traps firing on all cylinders, breaking Tsonga’s very first service game of the match to race into an early lead, and he maintained this tempo through to winning the first two sets. The Swiss looked unruffled by Tsonga’s bursts of strength. The forehand was in full flow, and the single hand backhand, still a sight to behold when executed with such poise, looked a work of art with how slices, passing shots and lobs were coming off of Federer’s left wing. The Frenchman on the other hand, appeared to be failing in his search for the adrenaline rush that is a hallmark of his on-court presence, and is a chief driving force behind his success on the tour.

Something happened early in the third set though, which caused Federer, who up until that point looked set to see this match out, to lose his way. It happened on Federer’s service game, when he came to the net on the back of a good serve and approach shot. Tsonga ran from one side of the court to the other and, realising that his double-handed backhand would not reach the ball, opted to try a single handed backhand, and succeeded in ripping it cross-court past Federer. The spectators burst into applause as Tsonga pumped his fist and uttered words of encouragement to himself. This proved to be a turning point in the game, throwing a monkey wrench into the working of the Swiss maestro’s mind, which appears to work with the intricacy and precision of the watches his homeland is famous for. Even though he held that particular service game, he netted a routine backhand volley, and made a bizarre miss of a smash from the baseline, sending it into the gallery. Tsonga had scented blood now, and he must have no doubt been spurred on by the memories of Federer conceding matches to him in years gone by. The booming serve was back, and Tsonga began putting his entire 200 lbs behind every hefty forehand from the baseline, using it to tremendous effect to control and finish rallies.

Tsonga broke serve and held on to take the third set, and the momentum shifted fully in his favour. The way he broke Federer’s serve in the fourth set was especially remarkable, and with the fourth set gone, it looked all but impossible that Federer would come out victorious, and so it stayed to the end.

While Federer failed to stem the tide of Tsonga’s resurgence, Djokovic refused to let himself be taken under by the surprising force of the young Australian Bernard Tomic. The lanky Aussie, who burst into the limelight after a breakthrough fortnight at the Australian Open this year, has followed this up with another stellar showing in London, and looked on course to cause another major upset by claiming the scalp of Djokovic. Despite losing the first set, Tomic did not lose heart, and was aided in his comeback by a sudden tendency of Djokovic’s to stop moving Tomic around the court. As the Serb’s shots drifted ever so slightly to Tomic’s forehand, the Australian started to take his chances and go big off his right flank. The result was victory in the second set.

Djokovic, for his part, has not looked the same in this tournament as he had before his record equalling winning streak was ended by Federer at the French Open. The lateral movement is prone to periodic slacking, while the ground strokes sporadically begin to err towards temerity. He still has a love for the game in such times though, as shown by the frequent wry smiles and shakes of the head. As he did against Tomic, Djokovic has managed thus far to shake himself out of such a stupor, but he looks neither in the form nor in the frame of mind to embark on the kind of dominant run we saw from him earlier this year.

In the women’s draw, Caroline Wozniacki, the women’s world No 1, fell victim to her long-running Grand Slam jitters once more, While Na Li has become the first tennis player in a long while, at least in this writer’s memory, to wear the colours of another brand while wearing a Nike sponsored kit. The encroacher in this case is Mercedes-Benz, and it evidently has not taken the Chinese No 1 to cash in on her credentials as the first Asian woman to win a Grand Slam title, although she fell to the hard-hitting Lisicki early on in Wimbledon.

zainhq@gmail.com

Danish Atlas eyes world junior crown

Pakistan may have become a shadow of their former selves in the world of squash but there are still a few youngsters, who give the country some hope of reviving its lost glory. Danish Atlas is one such talented lad, who is hoping to be a world champion just like his illustrious uncle Jansher Khan.

Having won the Asian Junior Championship title recently -- Danish is now eyeing top honours at the World Junior Championships to be held in Belgium later this month. No Pakistani player has been able to win the coveted title since Jansher Khan clinched it way back in 1986.

But Danish is confident that he has the guts to go all the way in Belgium after winning the Asian crown in Jordan.

“I am in good form and I have been working very hard for some time which is why I have faith in Allah that he wouldn’t let my efforts go in vain. I played well in the Junior Asian Championship and therefore I hope that I would take the same momentum into the World Junior Championship,” Danish told ‘The News on Sunday’ in an interview.

However, Danish faces an uphill task in the World Junior Championship in which layers from 19 nations will compete for top honours. The biggest challenge for him will be to overcome Amr Khaled Khalifa, the 18-year-old from Cairo, who will begin the World Junior Championship as the firm favourite.

Many experts believe Khalifa is almost unbeatable at the junior level. But ask Danish and he will tell you that nothing is impossible.

“I believe I can beat Amr Khaled in Belgium. I have been seeded third in the event, but this wouldn’t make me an underdog in the event and I will give my best to bring the prestigious title back to Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistan -- once the most successful nation in the squash world -- are hoping to win back the world junior titles in Belgium, something which their head coach Jansher Khan believes would put the country’s squash back on track.

“Our squash has really slumped in the last ten years but that doesn’t mean we can’t revive our lost glory,” said Jansher, who is now supervising Pakistan’s homework for the World Junior Championships as the country’s head coach. “But to do that, we need our boys to work harder and harder. We need them to give their best,” he stressed.

Pakistan provide the two 3/4 seeds, Danish Atlas Khan and Nasir Iqbal, both 17-year-olds from Peshawar and will be hoping that the youngsters give their best in Belgium.

Danish Atlas will begin his title campaign in Belgium with a first round match against Vrishab Kotian of India in the first round. His compatriot Nasir Iqbal faces Yousif Ali of Kuwait in his opening match. Pakistan’s Salman Mohib will also feature in the tournament but as an unseeded player.

Khalifa has been named as top seed in the 2011 championship, which will take place at the Flemish Squash Center in Herentals from July 13-17.

Khalifa is expected to become only third man in history to win the title twice when he defends his crown in the Men’s World Junior Squash Championship in Belgium.

Led by Khalifa, Egypt will be the team to beat in the championships. He will be aiming to maintain Egypt’s unbroken grip on the trophy since 2004, when Ramy Ashour won the first of his record-making two titles, followed by history-repeating double-title victories by Mohamed El Shorbagy in 2008 and 2009.

And it will be Mohamed’s brother Marwan El Shorbagy who is expected to provide Khalifa’s stiffest opposition in Belgium. The 17-year-old from Alexandria is seeded to meet the title-holder in the final in a repeat of the 2010 championship’s semifinal in Ecuador, where Khalifa won in five games.

  bilalsports86@yahoo.com

 

Kiran, Israr make waves in the pool

As usual, Pakistan Army reigned supreme at the 51st National Men’s and Women’s Open Swimming and Water Polo Championships held at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad from June 24-26. In the men’s section, Army claimed the crown with 548 points and their glorious effort included 16 gold, nine silver and six bronze medals. WAPDA, who have been bringing improvement in their standard, ended as runners-up with 268 points which they secured by virtue of three gold, ten silver and ten bronze medals. Navy with 78 points finished third with three bronze medals. Punjab (30 points), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (16 points), Sindh (12 points), Higher Education Commission (5 points), Islamabad and Balochistan, all failed to win any medal.

Similarly, in the women’s section, Army lifted the glittering trophy with 449 points which they got by virtue of winning 19 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals. Sindh, considered as a rich nursery for swimming, proved their worth by finishing as runners-up with 232 points which included ten silver and 11 bronze medals. Punjab, Islamabad and Navy failed to clinch any medal. Army also won the water polo event while Navy and WAPDA ended second and third respectively.

The three-day competition also saw a new national record in the 100m butterfly made by the country’s most successful female swimmer, Kiran Khan. The Olympian completed her 100m butterfly event in 1:11.27 minutes. In the victory of Army’s women section, Kiran was at her best as she clinched eleven gold medals in individual events and three in relays to finish with the highest number of 14 golds in the event which also fetched her the best swimmer award. She has been fairly good throughout her career and her father Khalid Zaman, who normally coaches her, has a handy contribution in her success.

However, the results show that Sindh’s female swimmers have started growing as they beat WAPDA by claiming second position after leaders Army with Alina Haji, Aleesha Mitha, Rida Mitha, Areesha Saif, Anush and Eisha Khan all extending fine performances to claim silver medals in their favourite events.

If they keep it up in the same way then there is a chance that few of them will certainly be able to come close to the experienced Kiran Khan who in the past used to face stiff opposition from Rubab Reza, particularly in the freestyle events.

In the men’s category, a 23-year swimmer from a village in the suburbs of Rawalpindi, Israr Hussain, swam excellently and picked up seven gold medals, which included four individual and three in relays. Israr claimed gold medals in the 200m, 100m, 400m and 1500 metres freestyle relays. The same swimmer clinched three gold medals in the 31st National Games in Peshawar last year.

Young Usman Javed from WAPDA sprang surprise with a gold medal in the 50m freestyle. Nasir Ali, the experienced international swimmer from Army, as usual, was able to defend his 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly titles while another international Nisar Ahmed from Army defended his 200m and 400m Individual Medley crowns. Nisar has been performing well in these events for the last three to four years.

Kiran and Israr have also been picked for the World Championships to be held in Shanghai from July 19 to August 1 after extending splendid effort in the national event.

The world spectacle also serves as qualifiers for the next year’s London Olympics. Though it is not reasonable to attach any high hopes with these two swimmers for the qualifiers but it is almost certain that being the country’s leading swimmers both Kiran and Israr will definitely feature in the Olympics on wild cards.

Kiran and Aadil Baig had featured in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 on wild cards. Kiran had bettered her record in her favourite event of 50m freestyle heat in Beijing by clocking 29.84seconds. But she finished sixth out of eight swimmers in an event which was won by Germany’s Britta Steffen in a new Olympic record time of 24.06 seconds. Kiran had ended overall at 69th spot out of 90 contestants. On the other hand Aadil Baig had finished seventh out of eight swimmers in the heat of the 50m freestyle with a timing of 25.66 seconds, overall ending at the 74th spot in the ranking.

The Pakistan Swimming Federation (PSF) is facing problem in sending Kiran and Israr for the World Championships as the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has bluntly refused to support the federation in this regard. An official of the PSF told ‘The News on Sunday’ that they had requested the PSB to support the federation in sending the two swimmers to the Shanghai extravaganza but the Board replied that because it is yet to plan its budget, it is not possible for the Board to support the federation and it should manage the tour of the swimmers by itself.

The PSF gets only one million rupees as an annual grant from the government and most amazingly it received the last payment from the Board on June 24 which shows how serious the government is in the development of sport in the country.

It will be better for the swimming authorities to generate their own funds through sponsors if they want to go ahead in the field as the government does not seem serious in boosting the standard of sports in the country.

  73.alam@gmail.com



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