Pakistani sports hero Arshad Nadeem has made the entire nation proud by winning a gold medal in the Paris Olympics after forty years. This athlete has achieved what no one else could, despite not even owning a javelin a few months ago. He struggled to obtain one, yet convinced everyone that with their support, he would deliver his best performance, and he fulfilled that promise by winning a gold medal in the Olympics. Now, it remains to be seen whether the government will honour the promises made to him or forget them, as it has done with so many other pledges to the people.
The rulers have a history of neglecting their promises to both citizens and sportsmen, rarely including them in their priorities. Once again, we see a similar pattern. Arshad Nadeem, through his own determination and hard work, not only won the gold medal but also set a new Olympic record. All the credit goes to those who supported him during tough times and cheered him on. Without their support, Arshad Nadeem might never have been able to bring such glory to the nation or give the people such joy. After a long time, he has raised the country’s flag at the Olympics and brought home a gold medal in the name of Pakistan. The people have every right to celebrate, but the government has no right to take credit for his achievement, as it played no role in securing this medal.
In this context, Major General Akram Sahi, the former president of the Pakistan Athletics Federation, stated that despite serving in numerous regimes, sports and athletes have not been prioritised by any Pakistani government. Had the government been more serious, not just one but several Olympians, including Arshad Nadeem, might have emerged to win gold medals for the country. Major General Akram Sahi and some of his colleagues have played a crucial role in Arshad Nadeem’s career, providing support and encouragement at every opportunity, as evidenced by the Olympian’s hugs and tears of gratitude after his victory. Arshad Nadeem’s achievement is indelible, but the government’s rhetoric afterwards is equally surprising. This government did nothing for Arshad Nadeem before the event, but now, from the Prime Minister to the President and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, all leaders are promising facilities for sports and athletes, assuring that every sport and sportsperson will be provided with equal amenities.
However, these are not the first verbal claims of this kind, and it remains to be seen whether any will be fulfilled or simply forgotten over time. While some prizes may be given on Arshad Nadeem’s return and announcements may be made, these promises are unlikely to be implemented. Every sport and athlete in this country has suffered from neglect, and there is no indication that this will change in the future. Recently, Arshad Nadeem spoke about providing facilities for sports and athletes, dedicating his victory to the country and the nation. He urged the government to treat all sports equally, provide facilities and jobs for athletes to nurture their talent, and prevent it from going to waste. As much talent as there is in our country, there are also many self-interested individuals in institutions who waste this talent. Until the right people are put in the right positions, expecting medals from our sports and athletes is nothing but self-delusion.
There is no doubt that Arshad Nadeem has accomplished what this administration could not. His gold medal victory has brought joy to the distressed people of Pakistan. Rewards should be showered upon the Olympian gold medallist, and the coffers of the ruling elite should be opened. However, they are often reluctant to give, even though they happily rob the public of their rights. Arshad Nadeem is being praised, with occasional discussions of awarding him 10 million, while in other contexts, announcements of 50 million and more amenities are made. The feat accomplished by Arshad Nadeem is priceless and cannot be repaid by any amount of money. Arshad Nadeem’s wishes and the pride of this nation should be respected. Whatever he asks for should be granted, and more athletes should be trained under his supervision with skill development, so that gold medals can be won in future Olympics; otherwise, the Pakistani flag may not be visible alongside medals at the next Olympics.
Attiya Munawer
The writer is an activist and environmen-talist. She covers human rights and politico-environmental issues. She tweets @Attiya
Munawer and can be reached at attiabutt121@gmail.com