FORMER Pakistan cricketer Imran Nazir has blamed sports authorities on the country's poor representation in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.
Pakistan has sent just ten athletes to the biggest sporting event in the world, who will be competing in meager six sporting competitions.
Nazir on Twitter expressed his disappointment over this.
"This is actually sad. Just 10 athletes from a country of 220 million people. To everyone who is responsible for Pakistan's such decline in sports, SHAME ON YOU," he wrote on Twitter.
He also shared a photo along with the tweet comparing Pakistan's contingent from 2012 London Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Many in Pakistan including a lot of sports personalities have also criticised the country's poor participation at the games.
FILE PHOTO: Pakistan cricketer Imran Nazir (Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/GettyImages)
In another tweet, Nazir wrote, "Since everyone blaming institutions in control of sports in, how many ppl here take responsibility of supporting athletes in our country? Mention any athlete who needs financial assistance, let’s see if any group or individual can help them achieve their dreams.
"We don’t lack talent in our country, we lack people in charge with the vision to take sports to next level."
Pakistani athletes taking part in the 2020 Olympics are Arshad Nadeem (Javelin Throw), Bisma Khan (Swimming 50-metre Freestyle women), Ghulam Mustafa Bashir (Rapid Fire Pistol 25 metre), Gulfam Joseph (Shooting 10 metre Air Pistol), Syed Muhammad Haseeb Khan (Swimming 100-metre Freestyle Men’s), Talha Talib (Weightlifting 67kg), Mahoor Shahzad (Badminton Women’s Singles), Muhammad Khalil Akhtar (Rapid Fire Pistol 25 metre), Najma Parveen (Athletics 200 metres) and Shah Hussain Shah (Judo 100 Kg).
Pakistani athletes have won a total of ten medals, all in the Summer Olympics, with eight of those from men's field hockey.
The country had won two individual medals in the Olympics so far, both bronze medals; one in wrestling in Rome 1960 and one in boxing in Seoul 1988. Pakistan has not won a single medal at the Olympic games since 1992 Barcelona.
Many Asian countries have sent hundreds of their athletes to take part in the event
China (777) and hosts Japan (552) are one of the very few countries to have over 500 athletes taking part in the Games. India has sent 128 athletes to Tokyo.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL (L) with Rosella Miccio. (Photo: Davide Preti)
