禁漫天堂

Only cricket is popular [link moderated].

Haha , yeahh, most likely only criquet prevail . But happily Ive seen more and more disciplines taking the spot . Like swimming , weight lifting and tenis.

At least in my city is a very little city with limited outdoors activities for children . And costly for the average pakistani family income.

welcome to the land where politics is the national sport, and internal issues are the hurdles we jump over every day! Who needs cricket, football, basketball etc聽 when you've got the adrenaline rush of parliamentary debates and the thrill of power struggles聽

Hello everyone,

The Olympic Games are now just a few days away and we would like to talk about sports.

What sports are the most popular and/or unusual in Pakistan?

Are sports facilities easily accessible there? Where and how can one find sports clubs in the region?

Are there sports events regularly held in the country?

And you? What is your favourite sport? Which one(s) do you practice in Pakistan?

Thank you in advance,

Priscilla - @Priscilla

Ah, the sporting life in Pakistan鈥攁 delightful mix of passion, tradition, and a few surprises that might just make you raise an eyebrow. Let's embark on this athletic journey together, shall we?

Popular Sports in Pakistan

Cricket: Once the undisputed monarch of Pakistani sports, cricket had the nation hooked like a gripping drama series鈥攆ull of unexpected plot twists and last-minute thrillers. I was a diehard fan myself, playing endlessly in my younger days. But alas, as with many good things in Pakistan, politics crept in, and what was once a pride-inducing spectacle has now become a source of frustration. Over the past couple of decades, and particularly in the last three years, the sport has crumbled under the weight of mismanagement, questionable selections, and, of course, embarrassing defeats to arch-rivals. The magic is gone, and so is my enthusiasm鈥擨 no longer watch cricket. My interests have now shifted to golf. At least in golf, if I lose, I can blame my own swing instead of the selection committee.

Field Hockey: The official national sport of Pakistan, and at one point, the nation鈥檚 most dominant global presence. Multiple Olympic and World Cup wins once made Pakistan the Brazil of hockey. Unfortunately, much like my cricket enthusiasm, hockey鈥檚 glory days are long behind us.

Football (Soccer): It lingers in the background, growing steadily among the youth. The English Premier League has a massive following, and you鈥檇 be surprised by the number of passionate Liverpool, Manchester United, and Real Madrid fans you鈥檒l find here. Pakistan鈥檚 own national team? Well鈥� let鈥檚 just say they could use a little encouragement (and funding).

Squash: If you鈥檝e ever heard the names Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan, then you know that Pakistan once absolutely owned the sport of squash. From the 1950s to the 1990s, these legends dominated the courts, making Pakistan a force to be reckoned with. These days? The only squash most people play is the one they eat.

Unusual Sports

Kabaddi: Imagine tag, wrestling, and endurance training all rolled into one. That鈥檚 kabaddi. It鈥檚 intense, loud, and requires players to hold their breath while tackling opponents. Not your typical leisurely evening sport, but a sight to behold.

Tent Pegging: This is the medieval version of archery on horseback鈥攅xcept you鈥檙e galloping at full speed and stabbing wooden targets with a lance. Think of it as jousting but without the whole "knocking someone off a horse" part.

Donkey Cart Racing: Karachi鈥檚 take on Formula 1鈥攅xcept instead of Ferraris, you have donkeys, and instead of a pit crew, you have a guy yelling, "Chal, beta, chal!" Surprisingly competitive, and probably the only race where the vehicle has a mind of its own.

Sports Accessibility in Pakistan

Urban Areas: Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad boast decent facilities鈥攃ricket grounds, golf courses, squash courts, and even a few swimming pools (which mostly exist for show rather than use). Want to join a sports club? Just be ready for the bureaucracy and membership fees.

Rural Areas: Here, you don鈥檛 need fancy stadiums鈥攋ust an open field, a ball (or anything remotely spherical), and the willingness to improvise.

Finding Sports Clubs

The best way? Word of mouth. Just ask around, and you鈥檒l find everything from cricket leagues to golf societies. Many social clubs offer facilities, but again, accessibility depends on your budget and patience with Pakistan鈥檚 efficient management (read: none).

Regular Sports Events

Cricket Matches: Despite its downfall, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) still draws crowds. International matches, when hosted, turn into nationwide festivals鈥攚here the streets are empty, and the collective blood pressure of the nation skyrockets.

Polo Festivals: The Gilgit-Baltistan region hosts some of the most insane polo tournaments you鈥檒l ever see. No helmets, no rules鈥攋ust raw horse-riding skill and fearless athletes.

Marathons & Races: Occasionally held in major cities, though participation is more for fun than fierce competition. If you're looking for actual races, best to head towards donkey cart events.

And You?

As for me, cricket鈥檚 heartbreak pushed me toward golf. Now, I enjoy the peace, the precision, and the fact that if I lose, I can only blame myself (or the wind鈥� or the caddy鈥� or my clubs). It鈥檚 a change from the high-energy sports, but at least it鈥檚 drama-free.

Pakistan鈥檚 sporting landscape is as diverse as its culture鈥攚hether you want to swing a bat, ride a horse, or just race a donkey, there鈥檚 something for everyone. Now, enough about me鈥攚hat鈥檚 your sport of choice?

Hello everyone,

The Olympic Games are now just a few days away and we would like to talk about sports.

What sports are the most popular and/or unusual in Pakistan?

Are sports facilities easily accessible there? Where and how can one find sports clubs in the region?

Are there sports events regularly held in the country?

And you? What is your favourite sport? Which one(s) do you practice in Pakistan?

Thank you in advance,

Priscilla - @Priscilla

And after nine long years, here I am, finally responding to your question! LOL. Any later, and I would鈥檝e had to send my reply via Ouija board from the graveyard鈥�"Knock once for yes, twice for no!" Hahaha! But hey, better late than never, right? Now, let鈥檚 talk about Pakistan and the Olympics, a tale of passion, perseverance, and, let鈥檚 be honest, a bit of perplexity.

Pakistan at the Olympics: A Rollercoaster Ride (Minus the Medals)

2016 Rio Olympics: The "Exclusive" Club

Pakistan kept things cozy in 2016, sending just seven athletes across four sports: swimming, shooting, athletics, and judo. Yup, seven鈥攂arely enough to form a cricket team, let alone a sporting delegation.

Swimming: Haris Bandey and Lianna Swan made waves鈥攐kay, ripples鈥攊n their freestyle events. No medals, but hey, at least they didn鈥檛 drown.

Shooting: Ghulam Mustafa Bashir took aim in the 25m rapid-fire pistol event. He didn鈥檛 win, but let鈥檚 just say the effort was 鈥渙n target.鈥�

Athletics: A lone Pakistani sprinter ran his heart out. Unfortunately, physics had other plans.

Judo: Shah Hussain Shah fought valiantly, but his Olympic dreams were put in a chokehold.

Medal count? Zero. Moving on.

2020 Tokyo Olympics: Double the Athletes, Double the Fun

By 2021 (thanks, COVID), Pakistan decided to go big鈥攕ending a whopping ten athletes. Progress!

Javelin Throw: Arshad Nadeem became the nation鈥檚 hero, finishing 5th. For a brief moment, Pakistanis Googled 鈥淲hat is Javelin?鈥�

Weightlifting: Talha Talib lifted so much that he almost carried Pakistan鈥檚 medal drought on his back鈥攈e finished 5th!

Badminton: Mahoor Shahzad played, swung, and smashed, but the only thing she netted was experience.

Shooting: Gulfam Joseph nearly hit bullseye, finishing 9th in the 10m air pistol. So close, yet so鈥� sigh.

Swimming: Haseeb Tariq & Bisma Khan dived in, made a splash, but sadly, didn鈥檛 make waves in the finals.

Judo: Shah Hussain Shah returned, fought hard, but the podium remained a dream.

Medal count? Still zero. But at least we got close this time!

Pakistan鈥檚 Olympic "Hiatus"

Fun fact: Pakistan鈥檚 last Olympic medal (of any kind) was in 1992. Yes, before Wi-Fi, YouTube, and PSL. Since then, we鈥檝e been on an extended vacation from the podium. But hey, who needs medals when you have cricket, right?

Oh, wait鈥� about that鈥�

Why I Stopped Watching Cricket and Took Up Golf Instead

I was a diehard cricket fan. Played a ton of it growing up, watched every match like my life depended on it. But over the past few years, especially the last three, cricket has been more painful than a heartbreak. The politicization of the sport has turned a once-glorious game into an endless cycle of embarrassing defeats to arch-rivals.

So, I decided to switch sports鈥攖o golf! Because guess what? In golf, you lose to yourself鈥攁nd that鈥檚 far less painful than losing to India every time.

Final Thoughts

Pakistan may not be a medal-winning powerhouse (yet), but we have passion, hope, and a lot of room for improvement. Maybe in the next Olympics, we鈥檒l finally break the drought鈥� or at least increase our athlete count to 15!

Until then, let鈥檚 cheer for our athletes, pray for miracles, and if all else fails鈥攑ick up a golf club. 馃槅

And finally ....... A Small but Mighty Team

Pakistan, never one to overcrowd the Olympic Village, sent a select group of seven athletes to compete in three sports at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Clearly, we believe in quality over quantity鈥攐r perhaps we're just really good at carpooling.

Arshad Nadeem: The Lone Gladiator

Enter Arshad Nadeem, our javelin maestro, who decided that 32 years without an Olympic medal was quite enough, thank you very much. With a herculean throw of 92.97 meters, not only did he clinch gold, but he also shattered a 16-year-old Olympic record. Somewhere, Zeus is nodding in approval.