Pakistan saved battling political and financial points in 2023, which additionally affected sports activities as Pakistan Sports activities Board (PSB) was discovered struggling to get funds from the finance division, however the nation nonetheless was in a position to create historical past in just a few disciplines.
The largest feat got here from the nation’s premier javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem who notched the primary ever silver medal within the World Championship in Hungary in August with an enormous throw of 87.82 metre.
The opposite historic feat of the 12 months was from shooter Kishmala Talat. Within the Asian Video games in Hangzhou, Kishmala turned the primary shooter of the nation to clinch bronze. She pulled off the medal within the 10m air pistol with an mixture whole of 218.2.
Together with her medal Pakistan completed the Asian Video games with only one silver and two bronze. The silver got here within the males’s squash group occasion whereas the opposite bronze got here within the males’s kabaddi occasion.
One other large second for Pakistan’s sports activities in 2023 was the nation’s development to the second spherical of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. It was on October 17, 2023, when England-born midfielder Harun Hamid struck a objective in opposition to Cambodia in Islamabad and enabled the Inexperienced-shirts to qualify for the second spherical.
This was the primary ever win within the nation’s Qualifiers historical past since making debut means again in 1990. It was English coach Stephen Constantine who managed the outcome as he marshalled his troops adroitly in opposition to Cambodia with whom the nation had performed a goalless attract its away leg in Cambodia.
Nevertheless, Pakistan later didn’t construct on it as they went right down to Saudi Arabia 4-Zero in Al-Ahsa and misplaced to Tajikistan 6-1 in Islamabad of their second spherical Group G video games.
Pakistan will face Jordan twice in March and can meet Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan as soon as every in June.
Pakistan volleyball group completed fifth within the Asian Video games by beating India 3-Zero within the fifth place match. This feat may be counted as a superb signal for the nation. Due to the brigade’s effective present in Hangzhou six volleyball gamers have been in a position to signal contracts with overseas golf equipment.
Credit score for this goes to Brazilian coach Issanaye Ferraz who dealt with his expenses fairly nicely in the course of the Asian Video games.
One other large future hope additionally knocked on the door of the nation’s athletics circuit. Pakistan’s No2 javelin thrower Mohammad Yasir Sultan gained a bronze medal within the 25th Asian Athletics Championships at Bangkok.
The 25-year-old Yasir engineered his private finest throw of 79.93 metres to complete with bronze.
He then completed fourth within the Hangzhou Asian Video games when Arshad Nadeem was not taking part in as a result of an harm.
Yasir is making ready for the Olympics Qualifiers and he’s anticipated to earn an Olympics seat. He might want to handle a throw of at the very least 85.50 metres by June 30, 2024, the timeline set by the World Athletics.
Simply hours earlier than the tip of the 12 months 2023, Pakistan’s Olympics household was shocked by the resignation of the Pakistan Olympic Affiliation (POA) chief Lt Genl (retd) Syed Arif Hasan who served within the capability for 19 years.
By way of a letter to the POA Government Committee, Arif introduced his resignation citing well being causes.
The subsequent day the POA Government Committee accepted his resignation and elected former DG FIA Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri Gillani as the brand new POA chief for an interim interval because the NOC will go for elections after this 12 months’s Paris Olympics.
Abid Qadri Gillani was the vice-president of POA and likewise used to go its finance committee.
He was the only option left with the POA because the three stalwarts Syed Aqil Shah, Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob and Shaukat Javed have been unable to contest the election for the POA’s presidency as a result of age problem.
Having served at prime posts, Abid Qadri is anticipated to tactfully deal with the POA’s affairs and work for the event of sports activities within the nation.