Pakistan is one of the most for­tunate countries to have an ex­panding youth bulge where most of the population is children and young adults. According to the IMF, the rising share of the working-age population can help to boost a country’s economy. However, this demographic dividend can be­come a ticking bomb in developing countries if not used productively. When these young adults cannot find enough employment opportu­nities and earn satisfactorily, they become vulnerable to an increased risk of illegal and violent activities and can easily be manipulated.

According to a United Nations report, almost 63% of Pakistan’s population is young adults within the age bracket of 15 to 33 years. Apart from requiring employment, education, and health facilities, we also need to create sports and recreational facilities for all these young adults. It is a proven scien­tific fact that the youth’s participa­tion in sports keeps them mentally and physically healthy. Encourag­ing sports activities also helps a country to gain glory by having great national heroes.

Keeping in view the need to pro­mote healthy recreational activ­ities, the Pakistani government needs to build more playgrounds and create platforms for the youth. Although Pakistan has achieved a certain level of expertise in the field of cricket, we also need to promote other sports like hockey, gymnastics, and football. Unfortu­nately, Pakistan has always ignored a potential game like football. It can not only create promising employ­ment opportunities for many but also earn a great deal of revenue for the Pakistani economy.

Due to the lack of tutelage from the government, many local foot­ball players are trying their best to keep this sport alive in Pakistan. Without sufficient governmental support and provision of funds, Pakistani footballers like Muham­mad Armaghan are dedicating their lives and energies to the mak­ing of a glorious name for Pakistan on international platforms. Despite the lack of governmental support for Pakistani football, Armaghan has always dreamed of becoming a professional football player who can promote football in Pakistan and play in prestigious interna­tional leagues.

Muhammad Armaghan Khan be­longs to Lukki Marwat, an under­developed district of Khyber Pak­htunkhwa. He considers himself to be fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to play football from a very young age with Huma Football Club, Islamabad, and then make his way to the national foot­ball camp for SAFF and Asian Games, 2018, at the age of only 17. Although due to his injury, he could not officially debut on any interna­tional football platform, however, after a challenging rehab process, he has finally partnered with dif­ferent national brands which are supporting him in his search for an international football opportunity.

Armaghan believes that every child must get an opportunity to make their dreams come true, es­pecially those children who be­long to unfortunate backgrounds, and therefore with a very min­imum of government support, these children can change their destiny and the entire nation. Let’s help our youth to become re­sponsible citizens by supporting football in Pakistan.

SABA LARAIB,

Islamabad.