The opening day of the Birmingham Commonwealth games saw many exciting battles between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. First, it was Shiva Thapa's 5-0 victory in round one of men's 63 Kg weight category against B Suleman followed by the India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu hammering Pakistan’s Mahoor Shahzad 21-7 21-6. The fierce rivals were expected to produce an evenly-matched contest by Sindhu registered a convincing win.
The defeat opened up questions about Pakistan's sporting culture and how they are lagging behind. The same was acknowledged by Pakistani shuttler Mahoor. After the loss to India, in an exclusive chat with Sports Tak, she said “I wish we had facilities like India” and even appreciated the Indian leagues and their impact on India's badminton infrastructure in the country. Mahoor feels that Pakistan should take inspiration from India and come up with leagues that can boost players’ ambitions.
When asked about the sporting facilities and environment in Pakistan she said “Unlike India, we don't have the same awareness and facilities which is an obstruction in our quest to challenge at the highest level.”
“Unlike India, we don't have national academics of that stature and the only sports that prioritised is Cricket and the negligence has forced athletes like me to put our dime to get the needed exposure. If we get similar investments we would be able to put our best foot forward,” Mahoor further added.
In recent times Pakistan's economy has had a major blow and political activities in the country have affected the sporting environment. “The economic crisis has shifted the focus completely on providing basic amenities to the underprivileged and when the economic conditions improve we are hopeful of getting better facilities. In present circumstances, I feel more private firms should come forward and invest as they do in India,” the 25-year-old explained.
The fierce rivals on the field haven't had similar encounters off the field. The neighbouring countries have not played bilateral series since 2008. The Karachi-born shuttler feels that both nations should focus on improving bilateral relations and promoting a healthy environment that can be useful for athletes. She said, “A lot of us wanted to train in India as they have exceptional facilities and are economical but the political tension hasn't helped our case.”
On facing two-time Olympics medal-winner, she said, “It's always a learning experience when you play with athletes like Sindhu. She is an exceptional player and facing her helps you learn. Today's game highlighted our weak areas and how much improvement is needed.”