FOR a country of over 240m people, it was appalling that Pakistan realistically had just one solid contender for a gold medal at the Asian Games. And once Arshad Nadeem pulled out of the javelin event, all hope was lost. Pakistan finished with three medals in Hangzhou: a silver in squash and two bronze in shooting and kabaddi. It makes for grim reading when that number is compared to India`s record-breaking total of 107, which includes 28 golds. Even Afghanistan won more medals five in all with a silver and four bronze. That is just an overview. There were humbling defeats in disciplines Pakistan once dominated. In the men`s team squash final, India edged out Pakistan. Men`s cricket fell to Afghanistan in the semifinals and then lost to Bangladesh in the bronze category. But perhaps the most embarrassing defeat came in hockey where Pakistan were crushed 10-2 by India. It was a record win by a sizeable margin in Pakistan-India hockey rivalry, the result exemplifying how far Pakistan has fallen. The men`s kabaddi team also suffered at the hands of India in the semifinal. But Arshad`s withdrawal the country`s javelin marvel apparently suffering from the recurrence of a knee injury -saw the feuding Pakistan Olympic Association and the Athletics Federation of Pakistan trade accusations.

While countries everywhere use sports to exhibit their soft power, Pakistan`s Asiad return shows how off-track the country`s sporting ambitions have been. Sports federations here are run by politicians and former officials of the armed forces who have more interest in staying in power than developing the game. To professionalise sport, it is essential it is run by professionals who are aware of the ins and outs, the trends, the game`s constant evolution and modern methodologies. In order to do that, an overhaul is needed and quickly because Pakistan has a lot of ground to cover before it can catch up with the rest of the world.