Ex-cricketer slams Pakistan’s ‘lack of vision’ at Tokyo 2020

FORMER Pakistan cricketer Imran Nazir (right) has blamed sports authorities for the country’s poor representation in the Tokyo Olympics.

Pakistan sent just 10 athletes to the biggest sporting event in the world and they will be competing in just six events.

“This is actually sad. Just 10 athletes from a country of 220 million people. To everyone who is responsible for Pakistan’s such decline in sports, SHAME ON YOU,” Nazir wrote on Twitter.

He also posted a photograph with the tweet, comparing Pakistan’s contingent from the 2012 London Olympics to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Many in Pakistan, including a number of sports personalities, have criticised the country’s poor participation at the Games.

In another tweet, Nazir wrote, “Since everyone blaming institutions in control of sports in, how many ppl here take responsibility of supporting athletes in our country? Mention any athlete who needs financial assistance, let’s see if any group or individual can help them achieve their dreams. We don’t lack talent in our country, we lack people in charge with the vision to take sports to next level.”

Pakistani athletes taking part in the 2020 Olympics include Arshad Nadeem (javelin), Bisma Khan (swimming, 50-metre freestyle women), Ghulam Mustafa Bashir (rapid fire pistol, 25 metre), Gulfam Joseph (shooting 10 metre air pistol), Syed Muhammad Haseeb Khan (swimming, 100-metre freestyle men’s), Talha Talib (weightlifting, 67 kg), Mahoor Shahzad (badminton women’s singles), Muhammad Khalil Akhtar (rapid fire pistol 25 metre), Najma Parveen (athletics, 200 metres) and Shah Hussain Shah (judo, 100 kg).

Pakistan have won a total of 10 medals, all in the summer Games, with eight of those in men’s field hockey. The country has won two individual medals in the Olympics so far, both bronze – one in wrestling in Rome (1960) and the other in boxing in Seoul (1988). Pakistan has not won a single medal at the Olympics since 1992 in Barcelona.