Zeynep Tufekci, in her book titled ‘Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest’, argues that social media has led to a breakdown in dialogue and increased hostility between groups, making it more challenging to find a common ground. This is particularly concerning for Pakistan, where over 111 million people use the internet, with 71.1 million active social media users, predominantly between 18 and 34 years of age, making them vulnerable to these effects. Therefore, it is crucial to engage them in activities that promote unity and shared values among them. Nelson Mandela said, “Sports has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand”. Sports, in particular, could be pivotal in fostering national unity and interprovincial harmony in Pakistan.
A prime example is cricket, which brings together people from every corner of Pakistan to experience the thrill of matches. Its widespread popularity transcends cultural, ethnic, and regional differences, creating a sense of belonging and community. This demonstrates the sport’s capability to unite millions during matches. However, this unifying strength is limited to cricket, while many other sports in Pakistan continue to struggle regarding support, attention, and infrastructure. This insight explores how Pakistan can enhance the visibility of different sports, akin to cricket in Pakistan, and use them to cultivate national unity and interprovincial harmony across Pakistan.
One primary concern is the limited financial resources. For instance, India's Olympics funding significantly exceeds Pakistan's entire sports budget, i.e. Rs. 16.21 billion and Rs. 5 billion, respectively. Additionally, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) generates around Rs. 15.79 billion in revenue, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) receives less than Rs. 4 million per year, highlighted by PHF President Tariq Hussain Bugti. Also, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) recently declined to fund a training camp for the upcoming Asian U-18 Baseball Championship. These reports highlight a worrying trend of financial constraints in Pakistan's sports sector.
Furthermore, in 2023, PCB stated that its Category A players get Rs. 4.5 million monthly. In contrast, Pakistani football players earn Rs. One Hundred Thousand to Rs. Three Hundred Thousand per month. Hockey players received central contracts in 2021 with salaries ranging from Rs. Twenty Thousand to Rs. Fifty Thousand. Consequently, it discourages young athletes from pursuing careers in sports other than cricket.
Moreover, the lack of structured platforms has further undermined athletes’ development and the overall progress of these sports. For instance, the Pakistan Premier League launched by the Pakistan Football Federation in 2004, has only been conducted once during the last nine years. Similarly, hockey, a sport with a rich legacy in Pakistan, has declined significantly, lacking a fully operational domestic league.
Cricket also dominates the media landscape, with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) attracting over 150 million viewers during peak matches. Football struggles to gain similar visibility despite its large fan following. In FIFA World Cup 2022, A Sports attracted over 25 million live-stream viewers on ARY ZAP, with more than 48 million views of match highlights on social media. This suggests that football can achieve similar popularity in Pakistan; however, domestic football matches are rarely broadcast live. Likewise, hockey, squash, and wrestling also receive inadequate media attention, which hinders investment and sponsorship efforts, thereby leaving federations dependent on insufficient government support.
Now, here the question arises: considering these challenges, how can Pakistan reshape these sports to serve as a source to foster national unity and inter-provincial harmony, like cricket?
The "Talent Hunt Youth Sports Program" offers Pakistani youth from diverse backgrounds a chance to access advanced training and gain recognition. In 2023, the government, in partnership with the Higher Education Commission, initiated nationwide talent hunts in twelve games for men and women (Table 1). Hence, it allows them to excel in events like the Youth Olympics and represent Pakistan at national and international sports forums (Figure 1).
Moreover, PSB could enhance the talent pool by allocating resources to schools, colleges, and universities, thereby reducing the burden on federations to start from scratch in identifying and developing talent.
Besides this, a franchise-based PSL representing different cities offers the best model to replicate in other sports in Pakistan. In PSL-2023, more than Rs. 5.62 billion in revenue was generated. By implementing a similar franchise-based model, other sports federations could generate substantial revenue and reduce their over-dependence on government funds.
To begin with, sports with high growth potential - like football, hockey, squash, kabaddi, wrestling, boxing, volleyball, and basketball should be prioritised. For example, Pakistan has a rich history in hockey, marked by three Olympic gold medals and four World Cup titles, yet it declined due to a lack of infrastructure and investment. Structured franchise-based leagues can revitalise these sports. However, to implement this model effectively, Pakistan needs legislation that empowers the private sector to manage leagues, leveraging their expertise in entrepreneurship and marketing.
Similar to the PSL, other sports’ franchise-based leagues can establish teams from major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Islamabad, and Multan and expand to include cities such as Faisalabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Abbottabad, and Hyderabad. This approach will diversify participation, attract local talent, and engage a broader fan base, fostering national unity and inter-provincial harmony.
Moreover, the South Korean athlete pension system provides benefits based on their level of achievement, with higher pensions for gold medalists compared to silver and bronze medalists. PSB can implement a similar model by establishing a “Pakistan Sports Excellence Fund,” funded by allocating a small portion of prize money awarded to medal-winning athletes. This would not only ensure the financial stability of athletes post-competition but could also encourage youth participation in the sports sector.
The media's push for better facilities for Arshad Nadeem demonstrates how media coverage can prompt government action and address issues of administrative mismanagement. This approach can be applied to all sports federations, where media attention on issues like mismanagement and inadequate resources can drive government reforms and boost support for the sports sector in Pakistan.
To conclude, conducting nationwide talent hunts, adopting franchise-based leagues, and implementing a pension system similar to South Korea's would not only improve Pakistan's sports sector but could also serve as a tool to foster national unity and interprovincial harmony.
However, for these initiatives to succeed, Pakistan must devise a comprehensive national sports policy that aligns all stakeholders — including government bodies, sports federations, and private entities — towards common goals and objectives. The policy should establish a long-term strategic framework for the next 5-7 years, similar to the model set by Australia's “Sport-2030”. This is particularly urgent, given that Pakistan has had no such sports policy since 2005 (the first-ever sports policy was introduced in 2001).