Like everyone the young football talent of Pakistan attracts
also the newly appointed foreign coach of the Pakistan national team. The
Serbian Zavisa Milosavljevic is not alone in this league of opinions, his
predecessors like the Austrian George Kottan, the English Graham Roberts and
Bahrain’ Salman Ahmad Sharida had stated
more or less the same when took the reins of the national team.
Compared to senior level the performance of junior teams of
Pakistan are rarely disappointing. And, it doesn’t require any rocket-science
or certification by any foreign experts. Pakistan under-16 team’ triumph in the SAFF
Championship serves as an eye-opener to our sports policymakers that the
country has undoubted talent to blossom into a respectable football nation. Earlier
before that Pakistan under- 13 teams had also showed good signs in Iran.
Hats really off to the young lads of Pakistan, where football
patronage is missing, infrastructure is miserable, and so-called youth
development programs are not less than soccer mockeries. What is more important
is to identify the factors that stop growth of footballers after their teen and
deprive them to progress further. Here are few but major elements missing in
Pakistan football;
Remunerations: Footballers
are highly paid sportsmen of the world. However, in Pakistan as the pay of
footballers is meager therefore they believe that getting the national color is
enough and the ultimate destination in Pakistan. A number of young footballers
do not continue their career in football and those who do so lack motivation
and destination. If Pakistan just improves the quality of domestic league by
bringing sponsors and enlarging the duration of the event there are chances
that a player could make good money in the game and keep him fit and focused
throughout the year.
Opportunities: The top
football nations provide their young footballers innumerable opportunities when
they end their career at the age of around 36 or 38 years. Besides a coach or
manger, footballers can serve as scouts, instructors, trainers, and
youth-developers in rich clubs and academies which are also attractive jobs in
the field. In Pakistan unfortunately these kind of roles are missing therefore
players in their 20s start to shift their goal for better livelihood and
football becomes second priority for them. It can easily be do away with if instead
of outsiders only footballers are authorized to get employments in central, provincial,
district associations and other football-related institutions.
Infrastructure: The term
infrastructure doesn’t refer to have number of stadiums and football offices in
every region. The main thing is to improve playing conditions, having grassy
fields in stadiums, constructing football academies and most importantly players’
accessibility to all medical needs helping them to maintain fitness level. If
the PFF just take stand and make it compulsory for all departments or clubs
(involved in 1st Division) to have academies, possibly residential,
where the schooling needs are also taken care of besides imparting football coaching,
large number of kids can enroll each year.
Player
development: That includes provision of training facilities, qualified
instructors and proper nutrition of players so they can maximize their time in
the game. At district level, fitness programs with strict training regime of
each age level should be initiated on regular basis to refine football talent.
Similarly a good number of playing occasions or tournaments must be given to
them at domestic level to groom mentally before exposing them at international
level.
For feedback: mascot.pk@hotmail.com
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