AS the Asian Games concluded in the Japanese city of Aichi-Nagoya, Pakistan is left to confront the uncomfortable reality that it finished with a miserly tally of 10 medals two silver and eight bronze without a single gold medal, not even in javelin throw. The medals were earned in men`s cricket, women`s cricket, hockey, volleyball, squash, mixed martial arts (MMA), shooting and e-sports.

They represent effort, resilience and genuine achievement by Pal(istani athletes.

Indeed, this was Pal(istan`s best Asian Games medal haul since 2002. But it should not distract us from the larger concern: Pakistan remains far behind most of Asia`s sporting leaders and has not yet built a system capable of producing consistent excellence.

India finished with 85 medals, including 21 gold. China, Japan and other regionalpowers again demonstrated what long-term planning, facilities, coaching and, indeed, competition can achieve. Medal tables may change from one event to another, but Pal(istan`s deeper problem is the absence of a durable sporting structure.

Sports is not merely entertainment. It reflects the opportunities, health, discipline and ambition available to a country`s young people. Pal(istan cannot expect international success without systematically identifying talent, training athletes and supporting them over years; year after year.

Women`s participation surely deserves particular attention.Pakistan needs publicly available data on how many girls compete at school, college, provincial and national levels, which sports they enter, what facilities and coaching they receive, and where the participation level falls away. Without such data, policymakers cannot honestly claim to be expanding opportunities.

Pal(istan has seen before what focused leadership can achieve. Nur Khan`s influence on hocl(ey, squash and other sports is remembered because it was more than ceremonial. He combined administrative seriousness with talent development, institutional support and accountability. Pal(istan`s great teams and athletes did not emerge by accident; they were backed by systems that treated sports as anationalresponsibility.

Going forward, the government should make sports development a clear national priority. A practical programme should includeidentifying talented children at the schoollevelin both urban and rural Pakistan, appointing qualified coaches in every major sport and holding them to clearly measurable performance targets, organising regular inter-school, inter-college and inter-university sports competitions throughout the year, establishing provincialand national talent pathways that provide sustained coaching, education, nutrition and financial support, and publishing annual data on funding, athlete development, selection decisions and competitive results.

If the government considers someone an effective administrator, it should give that person a clearly defined mandate without conflicting responsibilities. Sports cannot be treated as an additional title or some part-time assignment. It does demand complete attention, professional planning and public accountability.

Pal(istan`s athletes deserve more than applause after an occasional medal. They deserve a system that prepares them to compete and to win at the highest level.

Jamshed Ishrat Islamabad