This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed “Game on hai” carried by the newspaper on last Saturday. The writer, Zia Ul Islam Zuberi, appears highly optimistic about Pakistan’s prospects in global football. He has brought to the attention of the newspaper readers his forecast that ‘there is a remote chance Pakistan will be playing in the next world cup in 2026 but there are strong chances that the country might be in the world cup in 2030’.

In my view, however, his is a misplaced optimism. In this regard I wish to state the following: that the colonialism had manifested in the lives of indigenous people in several ways and shapes is a fact. One of these manifestations was sport. Football game or sport which was brought from the Imperial British to the Indian Raj had for decades excluded the local population.

According to George Orwell, for example, ‘English club’ was the true citadel of the British power in colonies. This ‘English club’ mentality had successfully defended and protected the class divide, much to the chagrin of the local populace.

The local population, therefore, took to football much later. And a large number of those who started playing football and continued to play it for years were purportedly suffering from malnutrition. Football demands sharp concentration, physical strength, muscular endurance, power, speed, explosiveness, and above all strong sporting traditions. We unfortunately lack in all the above areas.

Shamshad Akhtar (Karachi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022