Arshad Nadeem has been able to gain government attention and has been awarded numerous awards (File photo: AFP).
Paris Olympics gold medalist athlete Arshad Nadeem has been able to attract the attention of government and private institutions and has been awarded numerous awards, but there are few athletes who are waiting for the implementation of the top government announcements. .
Be it Paralympics bronze medalist Hyder Ali or the recent world ranking fight winner Muhammad Wasim in boxing competitions, both are victims of government indifference.
Muhammad Saad Rajput, the gold medalist in the World Mass Wrestling Competitions and Inam Butt, the gold medalist in the World Wrestling Competitions, believe that the government’s announcements are nothing but lip service.
Haider Ali, the only medal winner for Pakistan in the Paralympics, while talking to Urdu News, said that it has been more than a month since he won the bronze medal in the event, but still no encouragement has been given by the federal or provincial government. did not.’
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, has given hope to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif soon and announce the prize.
According to Haider Ali, “Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan has assured that the Prime Minister will invite you to Islamabad as soon as he gets free from his busy schedule.”
According to him, no reward money has been announced or encouraged by the federal or provincial government.
Boxer Muhammad Wasim from Balochistan, who has won medals in many international competitions, also seems to be suspicious of the lack of government patronage.
Muhammad Wasim has named the world ranking fight to be held in Malta in October 2024. He told Urdu News that ‘talented and deserving athletes in Pakistan do not get support from government institutions.’
He said that after winning the silver medal in the international boxing competitions in 2017, the then Chief Minister of Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri announced prizes for him which could not be received till date.
Commenting on the government’s reaction after winning a medal in boxing competitions in Malta, Muhammad Waseem said that there was no encouragement from the provincial or federal government.
He said that, however, he has been given the hope that the federal government and especially the provincial government of Balochistan will take steps for the betterment of the players.
Muhammad Wasim also mentioned the visa problems he faced before participating in the boxing fight in Malta and said that Pakistan Army made it possible for him to get a visa after not getting support from the government. For which I am grateful to the institution.’
Commonwealth Games gold medalist weightlifter Noah Dastgir Butt explains that he could not participate in the recent Paris Olympics due to federation and government non-cooperation.
“Former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa invited me and Arshad Nadeem to an event a month before his retirement and announced a reward of 25, 25 lakh rupees, which has not yet been implemented.”
Speaking to Urdu News, Noah Dastgir Butt said, “I have not been given any reward by any government or non-government organization, nor have I received any kind of encouragement.”
Wrestler Inam Butt, who won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games, told Urdu News that it is also necessary to get training according to international standards before participating in major international competitions, but the relevant institutions did not provide him any facilities.
He said that he has defeated most of the wrestlers who participated in the Paris Olympics in various competitions, but those who lost to me participated in the Olympics, but other Pakistani wrestlers, including me, were not given this opportunity.
Muhammad Saad Rajput, a gold medalist in mass wrestling, says that when he won a medal in the World Cup Stage One competitions in Uzbekistan in 2021, the Punjab government announced various packages for him on his return to Pakistan.
The then Minister of Sports of Punjab, Taimur Bhatti, also assured the early implementation of the announcements, however, those announcements were also limited to oral submissions.
He further said that there were announcements at the government level about winning medals in the World Cup stage two competitions in Turkey, but no practical steps were taken.
According to Saad Rajput, he also requested support from the Punjab government to participate in mass wrestling competitions in Brazil, on which I was also contacted by the Chief Minister’s Office.
“I was told that a check of Rs 10 lakh has been cleared for you which you can collect from the Commissioner’s Office Gujranwala, but till today the check has not reached the Commissioner’s Office and I have not been told anything about it.”
Pakistan Sports Board’s position
Mohammad Shahid, spokesperson of Pakistan Sports Board, told Urdu News that in 2008, the Prime Minister of Pakistan approved the ‘Cash Award Policy’ for athletes who won medals in international competitions.
“Under this, the prize money is given to the athletes in proportion to the competitions and medals, however the required rules and regulations have to be fulfilled for sanctioning the prize money which takes some time.”
He further said that the Pakistan Sports Board had announced a prize money of one crore rupees for the Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem, who won the gold medal in the Paris Olympics.
After Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a reward of Rs 14 crore for Arshad Nadeem, a total of Rs 15 crore has been paid to him.
Regarding the fact that Hyder Ali, the only athlete who won a medal in the Paralympics, was not given the prize money, Mohammad Shahid said that the Paralympics were not included in the cash award policy of 2008, but now the Paralympics are also included in the cash award policy. being added.’
According to Muhammad Shahid, when Hyder Ali won a medal in the world competitions in the past, the Pakistan Sports Board gave him a prize money of 25 lakh rupees.
This time too, after winning a medal in the Paralympics, a prize money of 25 lakh rupees has been announced for Hyder Ali, which he will get soon.
