The story behind 11-time Grand Slam champion Bjorn Borg’s upcoming visit to Pakistan is a heartening one.

And even more so, a victory for tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi, who will welcome one of his sports heroes to the country as the President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation this week, when the ITF Men’s Futures Tennis Tournament series kicks off on April 26.

“I’m very, very excited, in fact, you can say I am ecstatic that Bjorn Borg is coming to Pakistan, it is a huge moment for us, I feel very proud that I am able to get him to visit Pakistan,” Aisam told Lost on the Desk.

“I think all the things that we are doing for promoting the game in Pakistan, from all the infrastructure development, to holding the international junior events, having the APT Challenger event last year, it was a big thing.”

Aisam made history for Pakistan as the chief of the federation by holding the first ATP Challenger event in the PTF’s history back in November 2025.

“Bjorn Borg’s son came to play that Challenger event, and he was really impressed with our hospitality, along with how we were able to conduct the event in the best way possible,” explained Aisam.

“ So I feel there is the word of mouth, and it spreads; he must have said good things about Pakistan and about the federation and how we conducted the whole tournament to his father.”

The 2010 US Open finalist added that he is holding two International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures events with $15000 worth of prize money, and the 22-year-old Leo is eager to participate in them, while his legendary father would love to see him play in the flesh in Islamabad as well.

“I’m holding two ITF Future tournaments where Leo Borg is again coming to play, and he messaged me that he is planning to come to Pakistan to play in them, and that his parents would love to come as well.

“He asked if I could arrange their visit, so I told him that I would love to arrange it and would love to have Bjorn Borg and his missus there as well.”

Aisam added that the Swedish maestro, who remains the only man to ever complete a Channel Slam, i.e., to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year three times, had congratulated him over the successful ATP Challenger in Islamabad as well.

“After the challengers last year, Bjorn Borg emailed me as well. He congratulated me for holding the Challenger, and for promoting the sport in Pakistan and in the world, and that he would love to come to Pakistan one day, and it is Allah’s favour that he is coming to Pakistan now,” said Aisam.

And to confirm the visit, Aisam said, Bjorn Borg directly spoke to him on the phone, too.

“I received the phone call from Bjorn Borg’s son a few days back, where he called me and then Bjorn Borg himself started to converse as well..He said, ‘Am I talking to the greatest doubles player from Asia?’ I was very humbled by that, I just jokingly quipped, ‘It is the wrong number then.

“I told him that it is an honour and a highlight of my career and life that a legend like him was calling me, so he told me that he would like to visit Pakistan with his wife to see his son play, and I told him that it would be the biggest event in Pakistan’s tennis history especially, and in terms of sports history wise as well, around 30-40 years ago Muhammad Ali also came to Pakistan,....I think after that, Bjorn Borg is going to be the biggest sports icon to visit us,” said Aisam.

He added that Bjorn Borg’s visit will also help improve Pakistan’s image on the international stage, and it will be a great step in sports diplomacy.

Sports diplomacy

The five-time consecutive Wimbledon singles champion, Borg’s visit will also help Aisam approach other legends to come to Pakistan as well.

“I’m very happy and excited and feeling very proud, and this will open many doors for Pakistan tennis and to promote tennis in Pakistan as well. There is a lot of hype already about him coming.

“And we are trying to promote it in the best way possible and can’t wait to have him here, it’ll be amazing for sports diplomacy as well, projecting a soft image of our country, which I have always hoped to do in my career,” exclaimed Aisam.

He said he is also planning to host women’s ITF Futures events as well.

“Going forward, I am also planning to hold some women’s futures as well, and Borg’s visit will now help us in asking other tennis legends to come to Pakistan as well. I’m really looking forward to it”, he concluded.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tennis Federation press release earlier included the details

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Borg will visit along with his family (wife and two sons). His visit is expected to significantly enhance the international profile of tennis in Pakistan and inspire young players across the country.

The PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, stated that the Government of Pakistan, under the leadership of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, is doing commendable work in strengthening the country’s international standing by facilitating mediation efforts between Iran and the USA to help avoid a major global conflict, and that the tennis fraternity highly appreciates these peace efforts, adding that as a result of these initiatives, top global political dignitaries and international personalities are visiting Pakistan, reflecting the country’s growing importance on the world stage.

Footballers Kaleemullah Khan Junior and Saadullah are on a mission in Turkey; one is just 15 years old, and the other is 31.

They are siblings with a huge gap between them, but they share the same dream.

Their current goal is to secure a contract for Kaleemullah with Turkish top-flight club Fatih Karagümrük S.K.

But they are on the clock for the 10-day trials that began on March 27, 2026, with the hope of creating history by this coming week.

It will be a feat that can open doors for Pakistani talent at the UEFA level and, more importantly, change Kaleemullah’s life forever.

Kaleemullah became all the rage in November 2025 when he became the first Pakistani footballer to author an international hat-trick. He did it at the Asian Football Confederation Asian U17 Cup qualifiers against Guam, and it was also his international debut.

You can watch his hat-trick here

https://www.facebook.com/PakistanFootballOfficial/videos/-a-hat-trick-that-announced-a-new-starfor-pakistan-u17-that-moment-came-when-kal/775093631656621/

This performance is a testament to the nurture and care Saadullah has put in his brothers development as a player.

And if Kaleemullah manages to get the contract at a Super Lig club it will become a key moment for home-grown Pakistani talent.

This is ultimately a story of two players instead of one.

“Everything in Turkey is so different from what we are used to seeing in Pakistan,” Kaleemullah told Lost on the Desk on Sunday night from Istanbul right before starting his trial at Karagümrük.

“I just want to say that it is a huge opportunity, and I have worked very hard for this, and if we succeed, it will open the doors for other Pakistani players too.”

Kaleemullah travelled with his brother and official guardian, Saadullah, who assured the teenager trains each day and remains focused on his goal.

Even on their second day in Istanbul, Saadullah was looking for spots for Kaleemullah to train for a bit before the trails began the next day.

This eagerness to prepare is a vignette of the dedication and hopes riding on the time they have in Turkey.

Istanbul calling

FIFA-Licensed agent Orbis Sports Management is representing him.

Meanwhile, Saadullah arranged the tour to Turkey, while 35 percent support came from the Government of Balochistan, he explained, through sponsorship for Kaleemullah.

However, the invitation letter came to Kaleemullah through Hasham Ashraf, who is based in the UK.

“It is Allah’s blessing, really, that I am here, and I understand the hard work that went behind the scenes. I can only thank Hasham Ashraf and Saadullah bhai for availing this opportunity for me.”

Kaleem’s most striking characteristic is his sense of responsibility towards all the people who have supported him in his football journey.

It is a quality often found in people who mature faster than their peers, who have seen struggle and inherently understand the cost of dreaming big despite their circumstances, where resources and opportunities are limited and failing is not an option.

The teenager is humble enough to keep thanking his mentors, but opportunities like trials at a Super Lig club heavily depend on his talent and ability to perform well under pressure, as he did for Pakistan on his debut.

That  particular match against Guam not only saw Kaleemullah score goals, but he also managed two assists.

It was a match that primarily became memorable because of the way Kaleemullah performed.

In fact, most Pakistanis may not have seen the entire match, but they have seen the clips of the goals that the boy from an underdeveloped village of Pishin, Balochistan, had scored.

“I remember I just wanted to give it my all, it was my one chance to show what I could do, I had been on the bench for the entire tournament,” Kaleemullah recalled what was on his mind during that match.

“I kept thinking about all the people, my brother, my family, my coach, my friends, my teammates, everyone. When I stepped on the field for the first time, I wanted to keep my mind calm, and I was just looking for opportunities to score. I wanted to make sure that I was not a letdown in any way.”

The striker said that his priority was to play for the team, but at the same time, he was hungry to leave his mark on the field that would consequently ensure progress in his career.

“I was on the bench for four matches, and when I finally got the chance to play in the fifth match,  there was no way I was going to squander it.”

Kaleemulallh also revealed that he confronted his nerves or any pressure that he felt by having faith in his ability to just enjoy the game and stay present in the moment.

He believes that confidence is the key, and one must believe that one can get everything they want through effort and persistence.

“I think confidence is everything; we need confidence in our ability that we can achieve everything we put our mind to. There should be no room for doubt,” explained Kaleemullah, who is chasing a dream to play at the UEFA Champions League one day.

His confidence emanated from the fact that he had proven to be a valuable talent at the National circuit at first.

Last year, he emerged as the top scorer with eight goals at the U16 national championship for Pakistan Army.

It was a performance that led him to the Pakistan National U17 team trials.

Kaleemullah has been progressing steadily from the national to the international level.

This is the same kind of mentality that Kaleemullah is hoping to carry to his trials.

It is his first foray into international trials, and he will be drawing the inspiration from the reaction he received after the AFC U16 Asian Cup qualifiers.

“I remember the feedback I got,everyone was proud of me, I want to make people proud through my game, it is a great feeling to be able to do that,” added Kaleemullah, who idolises the former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

But when asked what makes him love football so much that he is willing to commit to a grueling professional career at such a young age, he promptly replies, “Ever since I can remember, I have played football; it is the most consistent thing in my life.”

The making of a footballer

This answer reflects the amount of work Saadullah has put into Kaleemullah’s upbringing in the absence of their father who passed away in 2014 when Kaleem was hardly three years old.

Even for the trip to Turkey with Kaleemullah, Saadullah had to get court-attested documents to become an official guardian.

The legal process took place during the month of Ramadan before they headed to Istanbul in March.

“Kaleemullah is my youngest brother; we are six brothers altogether. I had made my international debut for the Pakistan U19 team in 2009, it was against Iran, and Kaleemullah was born just two years after that,” said Saadullah with affection in his voice and pride in his words.

“I just feel so lucky to be his brother. It is because of him that I am in Turkey as well, because of his talent and performance. Allah has been kind to us.

“I am sure that he will get that contract. I am hoping for that contract to be on the professional side for the club instead of the junior team. It would be such an achievement for Kaleemullah to be 15 and sign a professional contract. I am just extremely proud of him.”

Saadullah’s own career was ruined in a decade of instability due to political morass at the Pakistan Football Federation, which resulted in several bans from FIFA from 2015 to 2025 because of third-party interference.

The FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee, which was installed in 2019 and remained controversial throughout its tenure with several leadership changes, finally managed to hold elections last year.

But the infighting among the officials killed the dreams, careers, and opportunities of talented youths like Saadullah, who proved their mettle in not only national but also international football despite financial, systemic, and infrastructural challenges.

Saadullah played in Hungary and the Maldives after representing Pakistan at the AFC Presidents Club with KRL in 2012 and 2014, and was even named among one of the most valuable players at the South Asian Football Federation Championship in the past.

“My playing years went to waste, and after a point, one starts to look for other paths. I studied further, and I also got a UEFA B License as a coach,” said Saadullah.

However, he said that even during his playing years, he noticed a special interest in Kaleemullah’s eyes for the game.

“Throughout my football journey, I made sure that I kept Kaleemullah engaged with the sport with me because I saw how he would tag along with me to every match I played locally, he loved to wear my kits, and I felt I could help him grow into a professional footballer,” explained the former K-Electric player.

So far Saadullah and Kaleemullah’s careers have remained intertwined even if they are playing against each other in local events.

In 2025, Kaleemullah played for Combined Hazara FC against a team managed by Saadullah, Spartax FC, in the Balochistan Chief Minister Gold Club, where he scored two goals in two matches that helped the team in clutch moments.

“He loved football even as an infant. While he was growing up, I made sure that I created an environment that could mold him into a good footballer. I got him a treadmill and other gym equipment at our house in Pishin, which is so far away from the city, it is a backward area without modern amenities, but I made sure that I could train to stay fit, and Kaleemullah gets what he needs to train as well.”

Great things happen when resilience meets ambition

Saadullah was a rare talent from Pishin; he was the first one from the area to emerge as a top player among those coming from far more competitive places like Chaman in Balochistan or at the national level.

“There was no one to guide me. I felt alone, and there was always this huge gap in knowledge and facilities, but when I saw how Kaleemullah wanted to play, I decided that I could be that mentor for him. And I felt like it was the perfect time when Kaleem was only four or five to start playing football with him. I think it was great because I got a very late start to the game, I never even played street football, per se. So starting kids early always benefits their game and technique.

“I also thought it was great that football from Pishin would continue to get representation at the national and international level after me through Kaleemullah,” reflected Saad from a perspective of a professional coach and a teacher.

He recalled how painful it was to send a nine-year-old Kaleemullah away to Islamabad, where the youngling joined POPO FC.

“I still remember when I put nine-year-old Kaleem in the Al Mustafa Coach (bus) that took him to Islamabad. Before this Kaleem never travelled alone, but I told him that he needed to go to Islamabad and find the club, that was his first test, he needed to go away from home and train among other players and prove himself, or else he would not become a professional footballer,” said Saad, who had received training at national camps from POPO FC coach Shahzad Anwar.

Saadullah said that POPO FC also took care of the education of its players, and mostly he trusted Anwar with his younger brother.

But the sacrifices were necessary to train, as Saadullah believes that players need to learn discipline away from home, and for him, his task was to keep Kaleemullah motivated during tough times.

“As an older brother, it has always been my job to make sure Kaleem doesn’t get distracted from his games and stays motivated. Sometimes he would cal in distress to complain about his coaches being strict or someone mistreating him. I had to toughen up to toughen him up at times; I had to ask him to practice patience and learn from his mistakes.

“One needs to be strict with kids like that, even before coming to Turkey for example, I was making sure that Kaleem was training, even on two hours worth of sleep in Ramadan, because one needs to commit, and professional football is more than just doing the basic techniques very well, it is about having a strong mentality and going the extra mile when others don’t,” said Saadullah.

Discipline is everything

While they are in Turkey, Saadullah constantly passes on his wisdom to Kaleem and reminds him to remain ambitious for opportunities at top clubs in Europe and not become content or comfortable at any stage of his career.

“My own football journey came to a halting end because of political issues and now my age is against me, so I can’t play, but now I think Kaleem has a chance to play for top clubs, so I am telling him to only focus on football training, live a simple life without getting distracted by irrelevant things.

“I tell him to be ambitious and not be content with what he has, footballers have a limited time to achieve their dreams,” said Saadullah and Kaleem agreed with him on it, understanding that to become successful he will need leadership skills, discipline, and patience.

On a parting note, Kaleemullah and Saadullah have only one request for the people: “Pray for our success and support us in this endeavor.

“It is a good and big opportunity for a Pakistan-based international footballer. We need prayers and love as we attempt to achieve what looks like an impossible task right now. This will change Pakistani football, positively, for good.”

Next tournament for Kaleemullah

On his return from Turkey, Kaleemullah will join the Pakistan U16 team to participate in the UEFA U16 Development Tournament in Kazakhstan.

The event will take place from April 24 to 30 and will feature teams from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, and hosts Kazakhstan.

-Fin-

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The global fuel crisis is also hitting Pakistani sports events badly, besides other sectors.

The latest casualties of the global crisis now affecting Pakistani sports are that the National Road Race Cycling Championship has been postponed, and the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup qualifier between Myanmar and Pakistan would now be played behind closed doors in Islamabad.

Earlier, the country’s premier sports event, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), a franchise cricket event, was also forced to begin its season without the crowds in the stadium on March 26, and the venues were reduced to only two, with Karachi and Lahore hosting the matches.

The US/Israel war on Iran caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which provides 20 million barrels of oil and has been crucial to transporting the oil and roughly 20 percent of the Liquefied Natural Gas from the Gulf countries to the rest of the world.

“We wanted to hold the National Road Race Cycling Championship in Islamabad,” the Pakistan Cycling Federation President Syed Azhar Ali Shah told Lost on the Desk. “ You can see that many cricket activities were also forced to wind up, so we were also put in a position where we had to postpone the National Championship.

“Our event was to take place in Islamabad, while the cricket matches for PSL that were to take place in Rawalpindi were also cancelled and moved. So we are facing several challenges to continue with our scheduled sports event.”

The national cycling championship was poised to feature 120 cyclists from different departmental teams and cycling clubs of the country, featuring the top talent. It was scheduled to take place from April 2 to April 5, but ‘the decision has been taken in the interest of safety and proper event management’, announced the Pakistan Cycling Federation.

This race was crucial for cyclists like the Asian champion Ali Ilyas Jawaid. He added that the Pakistani athletes already face the dearth of local events and international exposure.

Azhar cited the security concerns, as the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, too, are affected by the regional geopolitical crisis.

“We can’t hold it in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, then we can’t do it in Balochistan either. Now, Islamabad is also off limits to hold the event.

“It is such a big setback for the cyclists and for us because this was the last event of the season.

“This is the peak time for us to hold road events because after this, the weather becomes too challenging with heatwaves that we can’t safely hold the events.

“We are now hoping to hold this championship in Gilgit in June because the weather there will be pleasant.”

Azhar added that the austerity policy from the government, with businesses also implementing cost-cutting measures, has caused sponsors to back off from the event, too.

Similarly, the Pakistan Football Federation sent out a notice on March 26 citing government policy as a reason to hold the AFC fixture behind closed doors and telling the fans who bought the tickets that they will receive refunds.

“In line with the Pakistan government’s policy of suspending gatherings of over 200 people due to the ongoing global and regional situation, which has led to the implementation of austerity and fuel conservation measures, the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Myanmar on March 31 in Islamabad will be played behind closed doors.

All ticket holders will receive refunds automatically through the original payment method used at the time of booking,” the press release read.

Earlier, the PSL also cancelled its opening ceremony.

Although the season will start on Thursday, the fans are urging the Pakistan Cricket Board to allow partial crowds at the matches.

In a country like Pakistan, where sports are an underdeveloped sector and require as much fanfare and facilitation to make sports a viable revenue-generating sector, the global fuel crisis and security concerns have been a let-down for the fans, athletes, and sports organisations alike.

But for now, when the world seems to be burning down thanks to the US-Israel-led wars that have already started to impact major international sports events like the FIFA World Cup, too, the fans and everyone engaged with sports can only hope for better days to come sooner rather than later.

The consequences of US-Israel invasion not only affect major sports events like the FIFA world cup, but also comparatively smaller scales ones like the PSL, the AFC qualifiers and the National Road Race Cycling Championship.

Other international events that have been called off include the Formula one races in Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, the AFC Champions League playoffs, tennis events like ATP tournaments in the Gulf and the US withdrawing from the FIH Hockey World Cup qualifier in Egypt.

For now, no one can anticipate how this war will affect the local and international sports calendars.

Playing football has been an art for the people of Chaman. They say when a child opens his eyes, football is one of the first things he sees. It is a city in Pakistan’s Balochistan province that shares a border with Afghanistan.

It has given Pakistan one of the best rivalries in the country in the form of Afghan FC and Muslim FC, clubs that have been run entirely by their communities.

the rivalry that lit up the Pakistan Premier League when it used to happen, the last edition of it took place in 2019.

Even now, crowds gather in Chaman just to watch football like nowhere else in the country.

This place has been a feeding ground for talent to make it to the national team and departmental sides, for example, Essa Khan and Kaleemullah, among many others, despite limited facilities and even little financial support for the footballers.

However, resilience becomes a curse and a burden when a community is left ignored.

And the Chaman football community is in dire need of attention.

They are bearing the brunt of a war that is hurting people on both sides.

It looks like no one can help the current and former footballers, including those who have seen better days, representing Pakistan internationally, from the economic difficulties caused by the vagaries of war between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which feels never-ending at this point.

Pakistan escalated the matter, according to Afghanistan, by killing around 400 civilians in an airstrike at a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul last week during the holy month of Ramadan.

Although the two states have decided to pause the war due to Eidul Fitr, a religious festivity celebrated by both Muslim countries.

Eid was just a ritual that needed to be performed sans celebrations in Chaman, as people do not have the means to survive and feed themselves, including footballers like Jahangir Khan, and others who have been working as labourers to manage their day-to-day expenses by crossing the border.

“Living a life of an international footballer was certainly a dream; it is something every child in Chaman is born with.

“We open our eyes and see football, sure it gave me some good years, but now, I have been facing tough a economic situation because the Pak-Afghan border has been closed for the last six months, we don’t know what to do, because we used to cross the border and sell some goods to get by,” former Pakistan goalkeeper Jehangir Khan told Lost on the Desk on a Ramadan night last week.

Everyone in his family plays football. He calls it a family trait.

Jehangir is a small-scale seller of cosmetics that he would take from Chaman across the Afghan border and make a living to support his family, which includes his six young children.

He pointed out that he has met many Afghan footballers across the border, too, who have been forced to work as labourers or sellers of different goods to survive the increasing poverty and the lack of opportunities in the region.

The goalkeeper represented the country at the FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds in 2007, before that he played for Afghan FC Chaman and later joined K-Electric, where he was forced to end his career because of the absence of domestic tournaments due to infighting among the Pakistan Football Federation officials, which led to several bans from FIFA from 2015 till 2022.

Jehangir, much like Jadid Khan, who has also captained the Pakistan U23 team and played for the country, had to see most of his playing years go to waste thanks to precarious Pakistan Football Federation affairs and the subsequent folding of departmental teams.

The departmental sides were providing a steady income to the players, making it the most professional version of football they could access within Pakistan’s semi-professional set-up.

“The thing is, there is no alternative for the players coming from places like Chaman.

“We spent our entire lives around football and tried to make a living through it, but when the departmental sides chose to let us go and dismantled the teams we were left with no choice but to pick up odd jobs, there is nothing much in Chaman, so this fight with Afghanistan and the closing of the border has made our lives so difficult,” Jadid added, he was dismissed by Sui Southern Gas Company in 2022.

“Most of our footballers, even those who have represented Pakistan like me internationally and played at the top national level like the Pakistan Premier League, had tough times after 2015.

“Now most of the footballers would cross the border and go to Afghanistan in the morning to sell some goods there and return to Chaman with goods they collected from there to sell in their local area, and that was how they were able to feed their families.

“But to carry on with their love and passion for football, they train and play in the evening after work, in the hopes of returning to the game properly in some capacity at some point in the future.

“The bottom line is that the footballers and athletes are in an extremely unfortunate situation because there is no alternative and there are no jobs or salaries, and whatever that they were trying to earn honestly with hard work is now out of reach because of the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Our entire system and economic activity were linked to the border, but now it is incredibly difficult to make ends meet.”

Jadid also pointed out that some footballers have left for other places to work as labourers, like brothers Hameed and Hanif Khan. They left for Dubai a month ago.

However, things are getting increasingly difficult for Jehangir, who has to take care of the family without any means of income.

While unemployment, and restrictions on the border are making Jehangir’s life miserable, he still tries to give back to his community by training players at Essa Khan Football Academy, where his expertise as a goalkeeper helps youngsters who might chose to pick up the gloves.

At times, like Jadid, Jehangir plays at local tournaments that offer prize money to participating teams, for example, the All Balochistan Gold Cup that took place in December 2025.

He played two matches in the tournament but sustained injuries and had to drop out.

“I am getting old now, but still I play,” said Jehangir, who is also the brother of former Pakistan football captain and once a top-scorer for Pakistan Essa Khan.

Looking back at his own career in football, he recounts how playing international matches and travelling fulfilled his lifelong dream, but then reality began to fracture once regular football activity was disrupted in 2015.

The 38-year-old does not receive any money from the academy, as it is solely run on a self-help basis, and the goal is to just keep the younger players engaged with football in his absence.

“I have travelled with the team to Bangladesh, Bahrain, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.

“I felt there was so much scope from 2007 till 2014, but then it comes down to the fact that there are no proper pathways to sustain a decent life while pursuing football in Pakistan,” said Jehangir like a man who understands that sports has a potential to change peoples lives, but it is not changing the lives of the players in Chaman any time soon.

Where is Pakistan Government or even Pakistan Football Federation when the football community need it the most?

In fact, both Jehangir and Jadid understand that the phantasmagorical quality that football once possessed for them, both on the field and off of it, has vanished for them with the realisation that the passion for the beautiful game is not the answer to difficult times.

Football has been a most cherished means of coping with the harsh realities of life, but as it stands, it cannot supply the people of Chaman with the stable livelihood they desperately need now.

The Pakistan Football Federation and the Government of Pakistan must step up and implement programs for the well-being and growth of the athletes in Chaman while recognising how football is an intrinsic part of their identity.

“There is a lot of heartbreak. We do warn the youth of how limited the options for the future become if they only stick to football,” said Jehangir.

Jadid echoed Jehangir’s parting message as well, especially to the new and shiny Pakistan Football Federation, which elected Mohsen Gillani as the president after elections conducted by the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee last year.

It is to note that the history of the Normalisation Committee is extremely murky, with shady self-serving characters taking on the role of leading it since it was appointed by FIFA in 2019.

“We need the departmental system; there can’t be an alternative with the franchise system right now, because the franchise system does not guarantee anything beyond basics.

“We want to request the Pakistan Football Federation to help build our futures, and the futures of footballers across the country, by actually running a proper league and getting departments back to hiring the youth. That system gave us employment with labour rights and benefits,” said Jadid.

The Chaman players got a taste of a national tournament at the National Challenge Cup, where Pak-Afghan Clearing Agency competed in February, but behind the scenes, they are not paid any compensation as players, and it is not a proper department or club that can take care of the athletes because it does not have a proper backer or government affiliation.

It is only fair to expect the Pakistan Football Federation to at least reach out to the footballers in Chaman. So far, despite claiming that the body would keep an athlete-friendly, community-building approach, they have failed to even acknowledge or consider what footballers in Chaman are going through in recent times.

“We have not heard anything from the Pakistan Football Federation or local associations in Balochistan. Nothing has really happened for us since the new body has gotten elected, so we don’t know if they are even thinking of us,” said Jadid.

I am starting this new venture, Lost on the Desk, dedicating myself full-time to bringing the stories of Pakistani athletes and international ones too.

I am hoping that you watch this video and find love and strength like I did in the 20-year-old Qudratullah’s story.

I know the late-stage capitalism is kicking all of our behinds, but we can push back and live by not giving up on our passions.

Because that is one thing that e must do to resist an increasingly dystopian world.

I find hope in youth like Qudrat ever so often and that hope enters like a ray of light and wash over on all the dark corners, steeped in anxiety, depression, and cynicism.

“I was roaming around the streets when fate brought boxing to me,” exclaimed Qudratullah, one of the most underrated performers in the Pakistani sports arena in 2025, looking back at how he began boxing.

Little did he know that, as a 16-year-old at the time, his hard work would result in him becoming the Islamic Solidarity Games medal-winner in a matter of four years.

The 20-year-old took the bronze medal in Riyadh last month in the 55 kg event, but this was his second international medal.

He took his first international medal at the Belt and Road International Boxing Gala 57kg event that took place in China in August.

However, he wants more, his desire is to find his place at the LA Olympics.

It is not as far-fetched a dream given his career progression, so far.

Just this month (December 2025), Qudrat secured a silver medal for his departmental team, the Pakistan Army, during the National Games, where 13 other sides were competing.

PHOTOS COURTESY: QUDRATULLAH

But the success for the Pashtunabad resident of the city that has given numerous international boxers to Pakistan has been that of fighting odds in real life too.

Qudrat is a Pakistani youth who is following his passion in a society and a staunchly capitalist system that is designed to disempower him and keep him stuck in the cycle of poverty.

In a just world, a 20-year-old talented boxer who has won accolades for the country would not be working as a labourer or a line cook just to make ends meet. This alone makes his achievement at the national and international level all the more impressive.

Qudrat’s trajectory reminds us that a person is not what job they do, but what passion they pursue.

Qudrat is not only working against a system that is rigged against him from the get-go. But he is also a true representation of working-class Pakistanis that constitute around 83.6 million in 2024, according to the World Bank report, who have dreams bigger than this country is equipped to deal with.

He is, after all, also a part of the working-class demographic that contributes the most to society through the work they do. In his case, he is winning laurels through play too.

“I was just roaming on the streets, I was 16 years old then, I was looking for work, I was trying to make sense of our lives,” Qudratullah told Lost on the Desk during the interview that he made time for as he juggled the responsibilities between training regularly, keeping fit, and sharp for boxing competitions, but also working as a line cook at a local restaurant kitchen, where he makes parathas.

The medals and the success that Qudrat has gained are far from the glamour or the money that a boxer with accolades like his should have.

VC: Qudratullah, who is in blue trunks

He needs to work at least two jobs to make ends meet, take care of his family, and stay fit as a professional athlete.

He said that even now, two of his brothers work as labourers, and he has been a labourer for most of his life.

“I was working back then too, I was working at a hotel as a labourer there, but my coach and ustad (mentor and teacher) Moulavi Ishaq Muhammad noticed me, and he invited me to box.

“That was the luckiest day for me as boxing chose me, the sport gave me a greater purpose,” explained Qudrat, who trains at Al Muslim Sports Academy.

“I remember when I first went to the club, I just chose to show up and see what happened. I didn’t have the shoes or gloves, but my Ustad, Moulvi Ishaaq, was kind to me. He introduced me to the sport and gave me the gloves and shoes, and he took care of me.

“He is the reason why I am getting these medals, because he believed in me. He did everything for me, and he never charged fees for me, which was a massive help.”

But Qudrat also remembers how difficult it was for him to prove his mettle even at the club level with many talented boxers training there.

“It was a challenge, there were difficulties at home, we weren’t doing well and there was extreme economic constraints, so the home life was tough, but even at the club, I had to train harder and harder to prove myself, to show my teacher that I am learning and then there were older, senior boxers there too, who were my competition. So overcoming those difficulties was key for me. And somehow, I think due to my hard work and persistence, I managed to survive.

“It really was about survival, and it still is about survival.”

The hard work, fueled by the desire to make his life better, Qudrat made his national under-age debut in 2022 as he competed at the U18 and U17 National Boxing Championship in Karachi, where he ended up bagging silver medals in both U17 and U18 events to mark his arrival at the national circuit.

Qudrat then competed at the 34th National Games that took place in Quetta, representing Balochistan, later became a three-time All-Quetta champion in his weight category as well in the course of just two years, all the while working as a labourer when not training and competing.

This captured the attention of Major Irfan Younis of the Pakistan Army and the secretary of the Pakistan Boxing Federation, who helped him get a departmental job with the Army, and Qudrat made him proud by winning the gold at the 4th Inter-Department National Boxing Championship 2024, which featured the crème de la crème of Pakistani boxers.

But 2025 was truly Qudrat’s year as he was finally crowned the national champion at the 41st National Boxing Championship, and he managed to take the Inter-Services Championship gold medal too, along with international successes in China and at Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh.

“It has been a good year, I know I competed well both at the national events, but also in international events, I gave a tough time to my opponents, like Cuban and Uzbek boxers in China, and these are the athletes who are training to compete at the Olympics.

“I feel I have the fight in me and the skill of the same calibre as them, but there is not much support for it. I joined the Army two years ago, and I can’t thank Major Irfan enough for it. He has helped me with international events, and we have delivered almost 100 per cent results if you look at it.

“I say 100 per cent because I have won two medals in both international events I was sent to.

“But the truth is that we need government support in terms of money and facilities along with expertise, we need the systems that can help us, we need stability,” said Qudrat, who craves for professional camps, international coaches and tours, and just having enough to solely focus on training for events without worrying about how to meet his day-to-day expenses on a shoe-string budget.

“I had my self belief, in China at the Belt and Road International Boxing Youth Gala we had competitors from 26 countries, and it was such a learning experience for me, it gave me confidence, and then I went to the Islamic Solidarity Games where 57 countries were competing at the event, so that was tougher, but I kept my faith that I could deliver. When push came to shove, I gave my all and fought, and survived in the ring, that’s what I did.

“I am just grateful that Allah blessed me with success and the medal.”

Survival is more of a skill than an instinct that Qudrat has mastered in an unstable economic and political environment, like many young boxers at his club.

He emphasized that many others come from humble backgrounds like his, boxers that have no money for gloves or shoes or kits, and yet they persevere.

He points out how poverty is a blunt force that actively stops youngsters like him from progressing in life and pursuing careers in things they are passionate about.

“There is so much talent in Pakistan, but poverty is a real thing; it simply comes down to feeding ourselves or sports, but still we give results, “ pointed out Qudrat, who has been promised Pakistani Rupees 2 million by the Pakistan Sports Board for his bronze medal in Riyadh but has not seen even a penny of it.

“My ultimate dream is to compete at the Olympics, but that needs a proper diet, and we need government support for that kind of preparation.

“Like right now, I have a job with the Army, but I also need to work as a labourer because I need to make ends meet and then save something for myself for a rainy day.

“I give half of my salary at home to my family, then there is half left for me to take care of myself as an athlete, take care of the expenses and then to save some, but it is not a lot of money that can help me reach that dream.

“However, I will do everything I can to compete at the Olympics and win a medal too.”

When asked if he has a special diet, he laughed and said he has no specific diet, but he has the hunger to get to the top. Even at the National Games in Karachi, a city that he visits often, he felt that the goal of boxers in Pakistan is to grow and beat the odds, in and outside the ring.

We asked him what the competition at the top level is like, especially when it comes to the rivalry between departmental sides, the Army and Wapda, he was quick to smile and say that boxers just want to have fun.

“It is all very friendly, and we have so much fun in the bigger events, we meet and it doesn’t really matter what happens in the ring, there is a lot of respect and sense of community among us, like the Wapda boxer who beat me in the final at the National Games, we were like brothers right after the fight, the aim is to grow at the end of the day,” explained Qudratullah.

Boxing as a coping mechanism for a community

Moulvi Ishaq reminisced about the first time he saw Qudratullah, “I saw him, and I thought he had that fight in him; he can become a good boxer.

“I saw him on a street, and I thought he should come to our club. When he showed up, I put him on training and gave him a week to see how he responds to the training.

“I was happy to see him take an interest in boxing, and he was eager to learn, he continued to improve with each sesssion.”

Ishaq has an eye for good boxers, and in the last National Championship alone, he had five boxers from his club who were competing and winning medals.

He has spent decades building and serving the community in Quetta as a boxer first and then as a coach.

“I have been boxing since 1990. I had been a boxer myself, and in a short span of time, I became the champion in Balochistan and took medals, but then I switched to coaching, and I opened my own club in 2001.

“I named it Red Dragon because I was inspired by Chinese martial arts, but soon I changed it to Al Muslim Sports Academy because people would often get confused by Red Dragon, and ask me a few times what the name meant.

“I think Al Muslim was simple enough for people to remember, and it helped,” said Ishaaq, who now has at least 120-130 athletes training with him.

He explained that he has three sessions of training each day, the first one starts right after Fajr prayers, then the next after Zuhr, and the third after Maghrib, which is where Qudrat was when we interviewed him.

Ishaq has a long commitment to the community, especially to the youngsters, who he feels need direction and resources to become stars.

Ishaq’s model of helping youngsters like Qudrat is simple; he charges money from those who come to his academy for recreation and fitness, and who can afford to pay fees because they are coming from well-to-do families.

The money he gets from the fees paid by the rich people goes into helping the athletes who need support.

“It is like a scholarship program. I pick an athlete and see how they do on the local, club level, then district level, and when I see they have the talent and potential to become better at boxing, I support them with everything. Many boys from my club have gone on to compete at the national and international level, and departmental teams pick them. So it is a breeding ground of future champions from Balochistan,” said the Wapda Wushu team coach.

He highlighted that the economic stability of the people of Quetta depends on the stability of the borders that Pakistan shares with Afghanistan, and often in times of political upheavals, it is the youth that suffers the most in his city, and athletes usually take up odd jobs to support their families because there are no other options for them.

In a precarious environment like that, he feels his academy can serve as a haven for the youth. Therefore, he carries on his mission because, through sports, there is a way out of volatile circumstances. He feels proud when he sees his athletes go abroad and win medals, like Qudrat and others, because it gives him hope.

“There is an alternative, sports can provide a life they deserve, at least it gives us that hope, and that is a very good reason to continue doing what we do,” concluded Ishaq.

Photo: PCB/REUTERS

It is easy to imagine Olympic record holder javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem being a cricketer, particularly a fast bowler, with his tall physique.

Still, if we must pick one cricketer who can become a javelin thrower, it would be Pakistan’s One Day International captain and fast bowler Shaheeh Shah Afridi, according to the world-renowned coach Terseus Liebenberg.

Arshad wanted to be a cricketer, it is a known fact, and one thing that he had told me back in 2018, right after he had bagged his Asian Games bronze medal, way before he became the international sensation.

He tried his hand at all the disciplines in athletics before setting his heart on being a cricketer; however, he dropped the idea once he understood that there was way more competition to get a place among the national team squad.

Also, he made the brave choice of abandoning the most popular and lucrative sport for javelin, because he knew he could pave a path for himself in it; it was a gamble, he knew he would either sink or swim, but he took the chance anyway, which in retrospect paid off spectacularly.

It is safe to say that cricket’s loss was the world javelin throwing community’s gain as Arshad ended up winning Pakistan’s first individual gold medal at the Olympics in Paris, and he did it in style when he made the record with a 92.97 m throw at Stade de France on August 8, 2024.

Terseus was there in Paris to witness Arshad’s throw while he was supporting South Africa’s Jo-Ane van Dyk, who went on to win the silver medal in the women’s javelin throw event.

Terseus had coached Arshad directly in 2022 and 2023 at Potchefstroom, South Africa, later he had been in a consultation role for the Pakistani athlete.

Do cricket and javelin throwing have any similarities?

During a conversation with the South African coach, if cricket and javelin throwing have any similarities, as he spoke of Arshad coming into the sport with a cricket background, he affirmed that there are similarities in terms of movement.

Photo: NEWS24

While Arshad could have been a great cricketer too, Shaheen Shah Afridi would make an excellent thrower as well.

“Arshad is blessed with a lot of talent, and it does make sense that he switched from bowling to javelin throw, because the run-ups are similar. He would have made a great cricketer if he wanted. I think… Shaheen Afridi can become a javelin thrower.

“We can take him and train him here in Potchefstroom, South Africa, because he is tall and has that strength and physique,” Terseus told Lost on the Desk during an exclusive interview earlier this year, while adding that he does see the Pakistani cricket team as a talented bunch, and praising the spinners in it.

In Pakistan cricket has been the most popular sport, while athletics has been a forsaken discipline that is only gaining more traction due to Arshad Nadeem.

But, surely, there is a lot more awareness about javelin throwing now, and more people are tuning in to watch javelin events like the World Championships and even Islamic Solidarity Games javelin event where Arshad Nadeem had most recently competed.

In your opinion, which cricketers do you think can make good javelin throwers, and which javelin throwers do you think have a potential for making decent cricketers?

Do drop a comment and share this post if you liked it.

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The pic is edited to protect the identities of the women.

"The situation is difficult from all sides," my friend and football referee/coach Maha Mohammad Shabat texted me from Jabalia Camp in Gaza.

Every day towards the evening I frantically wait for texts from her because, after each fresh genocidal offence by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)in the Gaza Strip, I look for her text just to know she is alive.

Every list I see online from Gaza of martyrs or injured I look for her name, praying not to find it, north that the ones that are there on the list are not precious.

Maha is a young woman who has been making a difference for the young boys and girls of Gaza and it was last August that I met her at the Discover Football festival with the theme Unseen Game less than two months before October 7, 2023.

The world has not been the same since October 7, Maha, my friend has not been the same either.

"Without sports, my life is worth nothing," she had written about her motto, and now it has been nine months that she has not touched the football and has seen many of her students getting massacred and/or left with amputations.

Maha represents the best and the brightest of women's sports as she lives in a place that has been, to be clear, labeled as the world's largest open prison. Despite the political, and geo-political violence that Palestinians endured over more than seven decades, Maha represents the best of the human spirit too because even in the most desperate of situations in the middle of a war, I can feel warmth, love, affection, and hope through her voice messages and texts she send me.

She even finds moments of joy and jokes about things as we try and pretend that we are not in the middle of a genocide of people who have to see their children, parents, siblings, and friends die, who have been displaced for more than nine months now.

Maha lost her brother and her cousin in the genocide, and just last month she said that she woke up to the horror and sound of their roof falling over them due to the bombardment. That attack had left her with an injured shoulder which she is still struggling with.

Meanwhile, lack of food, clean drinking water, and the grief of losing her beloved brother has left her stomach in such a bad shape that she is having trouble keeping anything in, but she has no means to continue the treatment due to financial constraints.

"Today, I went to see a doctor for my stomach. I did all the tests and treatments and by God, it cost me a lot of money. I still have some treatment left but I can't afford it,” she told me.

"I don't know the reason behind my stomach ache, since my brother was martyred, it's been about nine months.

"The problem is that some people tell me that it is because I am in shock and I am upset, and that it'll go away. But it has not gone away all this time."

But she added that it becomes increasingly difficult to take care of oneself as the Palestinians are dealing with loss every day witnessing more deaths or just hearing more news of the death of friends and family.

25 of Maha's family members are gone

"I am a resident of the Gaza Strip, from the north in Beit Hamoun. Since October 7, 2023, I have been moving every day from place to place searching for safety.

"There is no safety," Maha shared her story, as they were displaced just 10 days into the genocide starting on October 7.

"My family and I left Beit Hanoun for central Gaza. Then I was transferred again to West Gaza.

Then I was again moved to another school and then that school was bombed so we moved to another school. After that, we transferred back to North. One of these moves included coming to places from where occupation forces withdrew. But all the while we are searching for safety.

"The One who preserved my brothers and sisters and my brother's son. The fear of losing someone is difficult to live with. Losing someone is difficult. I lost my brother and cousin too."

Forced to die hungry or die while getting food

She explained that her brother and cousin were martyred on their to a bakery to get some food for the children of the family.

""There is the Al Sahaba area. My brother and my cousin were martyred as they were going to a bakery to get some food for our children.

"We lived in this house and then we went to a safety point in western Gaza, and the house in which we were living was bombed a second time. At home, 16 missiles were over our heads and we still got out. Thank God.

"Because of the martyrdom of a large family of 25 people, then the martyrdom of my brother and three cousins there are so many psychological effects on us. But life is just so difficult and making a living in the Gaza Strip is difficult."

Living on 245 calories a day

In another conversation, Maha cried that she had no idea what she and her family were eating or drinking.

It is a known fact that Israeli Forces have blocked all humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza and in a report on July 10 2024 the United Nations experts said that famine has spread across Gaza, while many more children have been dying of malnutrition.

In April Oxfam reported that on average people in Gaza are forced to live on just 250 calories a day, which is less than even 12 % of an average adult's daily need.

Risking life for internet

In these difficult times keeping connections becomes imperative.

Just to keep the connection with the outside world Maha has to travel to a more unsafe place away from a shelter at a school where the internet is barely available.

She often risks her life to even carry on communicating with the outside world or in the hopes of finding her friends that are now lost, without any contact when the attacks became more intense and all of their homes got destroyed.

"This is the point where we open the internet," she sent a picture accompanying the text, the pictures showed a mound of debris. It looked like more houses were destroyed by the Israeli bombs. "A little while ago, the point next to us was bombed. But this is just a small example of destruction in Gaza."

But staying back is also not a choice and through communication, she hopes to let her situation be known and pray that some help can arrive to ease the burdens of war, as everything has become expensive.

"Alhamdulillah, the pain is a pain that lasts all night and all day, we search for water and carry it.

As for the food, thank God today I ate lightly. Yesterday I didn't eat anything," Maha spoke of agony with health issues and scarcity of food and water amid the genocide.

God willing, there is no safe place. I would lie if I told you that there is a safe place in Gaza.

"All the fear and terror is like [we see] in the movies."

Maha's dream now, like others, is to see the end of the war that has taken everything from them

"May God make things easy for us, God willing. I swear, I want the war to end soon. We are tired, we can't sleep or eat," she added.

Even the Eidul Azha came and went without much meaning too as Maha explained that they didn't even have clothes because their house was bombed.

"By God, we don't even have clothes, nor do my nephew's children.

"There was no Eid, even for the children. This was a sadness on its own

"We are living, but we are not living."

Flashback of the past keep the hope alive

Maha remembers her life before October 7 and her trip to Berlin where she was a part of the all-inclusive festival highlighting the unseen aspect of the game, especially when it comes to women and oppressed communities.

"They were sweet days in practicing sports, doing sports, and spreading women's sports in the Gaza Strip like the rest of the world.

"I wish it hadn't happened to us and our women."

Women's sports in Gaza

She says that after returning from Berlin she got back into her community and she had more ideas of making more clubs for women, however, all of that came to a shattering end in less than two months.

"I was at the conference in Berlin. I participated in football refereeing and after my return to Gaza, I was thinking broadly about the idea of women's sports in Gaza. To not deprive them of support and to open some women's football clubs.

"But the occupation came back again and deprived us of it, and some participating girls who wanted to become footballers were martyred and others had their limbs amputated.

What happened to the stadiums and sports facilities?

Maha said that almost all the stadiums in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed by the occupation forces with heavy bombardment over them. But the greater grief and struggle has been just the safety of the young children who want to play sports.

"There are these grounds where we want to engage children into activities and maybe we can help them as they are witnessing so much violence too, but I have not gotten the soul to go down to those grounds," she explained as the Israeli Occupation has taken away all the strength. She appealed to world organizations if they could help the children with their trauma and mental health too, just to get back on the field even before thinking about training properly.

"The occupation forces have demolished everything, the stadiums, and clubs, and I hope one day we can rebuild these grounds and stadiums once the war ends, to build clubs that can embrace women's sports especially, but even that would take lots of effort," Maha added as sadness kept popping up from the cadence of her voice, that she has been struggling to remain motivated.

"We have prepared for this event for a year, all the blood, sweat, and tears just to get to this championship," tells the three-time Asian Powerlifting Champion Twinkle Sohail on her way to South Africa with her medal-winning sisters Sybil Sohail and Veronika Sohail.

The terrific trio will be representing Pakistan at the Asian-African-Pacific Combined Classic and Equipped Powerlifting Championship in South Africa which began on July 5 and will go on till July 13.

Video Courtesy: TWINKLE SOHAIL

The sisters left for Potchefstroom in search of more medals this year, both Sybil and Veronika had been making waves earlier this year and there is more to come.

"This is such an important event for us, it is almost like a mini world championship with powerlifters coming from three continents, in fact only just Europeans and Americans aren't present, there will be 20-25 countries competing here," Twinkle told this Correspondent and she was en route to South Africa. "It is a huge event that will feature almost 200 participants here.

"The goal for the three of us is to make Pakistan proud," Twinkle tells this correspondent. "Veronika will fight in the 57 kg junior event, on July 10, Sybil will compete in the 52 kg open category, while I will be representing the country in the 84 kg event on July 11."

The sisters train in Lahore each day without fail, come heaven or hell, and their record of numerous international medals shows their dedication.

However, that is not enough and Twinkle has a request to make. In a country that is obsessed with cricket and where patriarchal values still reign supreme the Sohail sisters represent the best Pakistan could offer.

⚡Beating cultural taboos in highly patriarchal society⚡

WONDER WOMEN: The victory sign they make is a victory for women’s sport in Pakistan (Veronika(L), Sybil (M), and Twinkle (R). PHOTO COURTESY: TWINKLE SOHAIL

They are showing their mettle not just on the field but off the field too with their parents' unflinching support to advocate and practically fight for their daughters to pursue careers in a field often associated with men and mostly women are hindered by the traditional and cultural taboos. 

"I just want to ask the Pakistanis to please support us, if we can train this hard and do everything we can to make the country proud in this field. I want Pakistan to support us now and in the future too, support us fully and open-heartedly. We want to win so many more international accolades for Pakistan and serve the country in the best way possible. Support is the the least they can do."

Twinkle further added that the sisters are excited, optimistic, and even emotional that they are getting this opportunity to compete for Pakistan at the mega event.

"We are very hopeful that we'll win medals for Pakistan," said Twinkle as all three of them have already conquered the Asian turf in their categories. They are now setting their eyes on bigger events.

"We are capable of winning. Each time we prepared well, Allah rewarded us with respect and won with medals.

"Even though we are travelling right now, through Kenya Airways, we are getting ready for the event, we can't wait to train there, we are thinking about it even as we are getting on the plane. We want to land and get on with the mission."

Sohail sisters reached their destination on Monday.

Pak women's team will compete in Equipped Powerlifting on 13 July. They will return home on 18 July at Lahore Airport after the concluding championships.

Photo: AFP/FILE

Karachi 

"It is going to be my first Diamond League, I've never competed in this before," Pakistan's main medal hope for the Paris Olympics javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem admitted humbly. 

Arshad will become the first Pakistani athlete to compete at the Diamond League which is no mean feat, come Sunday at the Meeting de Paris. 

It is amazing, though, that Pakistan's most brilliant athlete to put the country on the world map in athletics has never competed in even one of the Diamond League annual series.

The Diamond League Legs are the elite athletic invitational meets held every season in different countries, spread across five continents where participating athletes get points and have a chance at qualifying for the final.

The final of the series leg at the end of the season is where the Diamond League Champion in their chosen discipline gets crowned.

The Diamond League this year is in its 15th edition, and Paris meet is the eighth leg with the prize money but it is also the first time that it will see a Pakistani in action. 

It is a feat that has been beyond imagination for the longest time for the athletes from the country where cricket is held supreme.

The disparity is so great that the facilities available to the athletes in other sports like track and field are negligible or less than satisfactory at best.

However, the Mian Chunnu boy with a big dream will break another ceiling despite being a Pakistani at the international level. 

Arshad is taking this event as a test for himself as he is coming back after almost a year since his incredible feat at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, where he not only became the first Pakistani to win a silver medal at the event but also booked himself a direct ticket to Paris Olympics with a throw of 87.82 metres. 

In that event too he was coming back from his knee injury. But injuries have been Arshad's constant companions, he competed and broke the 90-metre barrier at the Commonwealth Games 2022 with an elbow and left knee injury. 

The Paris meet is a starter while his main focus remains the Paris Games. 

"The Paris event will be a test really, I've just recovered from an injury you see," Arshad told this correspondent. His goal is to end Pakistan's 32-year Olympic medal drought.

The 27-year-old had gone through a laser procedure in England to recover from his earlier injury in the right knee in December just seven months away from the Olympics. 

He began training in February with his coach. 

The damage to his knee was bad enough for him to withdraw from the Asian Games as he had already achieved his target of directly qualifying for the Olympics, that too for the second time. "This time I picked up an injury right below my right knee, on my calf, it was a muscle strain just three-four days before Eidul Azha. So that became a bit of a concern because my aim is the Olympics, and hopefully a medal in it too. 

"So I had to change the plans because of that injury, which occurred due to the hot weather we have and lots of sweating and sometimes dehydration too, so lots of things to be careful of. 

"I wanted to compete at an event in Finland before coming to Paris. But we had to skip that due to my recovery, while the way to Paris has been quite long due to travelling between countries." 

Arshad received a multiple entry visa for the Schengen region, and his main country happened to be the Netherlands from where he was to travel to Finland first, and then to Paris,  and even by dropping Finland from the schedule, the travel time from Lahore to Paris had been exhausting. 

"I am adjusting here in Paris now, the weather is far better than what we had back home, so I am enjoying training in that," the Tokyo Olympics finalist explained. 

He trained mainly in Lahore with his coach Salman Butt using local facilities to prepare for his international comeback. 

Arshad’s is a hero’s journey each time where he needs to pick himself up from various drawbacks, many systemic ones like lack if facilities, for the most part of his training he had to make do with limited equipment and then to top it off, the injuries.

Aim bigger than oneself 🎡

Arshad is giving his all for the country, but there is also a part of him that wants to achieve the Olympic medal for his children too.

The young father of three speaks proudly of his only daughter and the eldest child who leads her younger brothers to pray for his success.

"My children, they are a joy," Arshad the family man speaks with a cadence that reflects gratitude and love.

"They are too young to understand. I've just spoken to them before speaking to you. They keep saying that they are praying for my win. It is also because their mother, my wife, tells them to… to pray for me often too, but they understand that I am away a lot and I am doing something. I really want to win the medal for them too."

🤸‍♀️Competition boosts confidence 

Arshad said that his goal for preparing the campaign at the Paris Olympics always included a few competitions before the Games. 

"I just wanted to get competitions, because I need to know where I stand. The participation in competitions can give me such confidence because I'll know what I am capable of," illustrated Arshad. "Like how I am going to fare. Mentally and physically I am in a good place right now. I am feeling strong." 

🎯🔥Eyes on the prize at the Paris meet 

"I am in full control now, and the recovery from the muscle strain injury has been well so far," said Arshad, who arrived for the event between Thursday and Friday.  

"Here at the Diamond League meet I'll, definitely, try to do my best and see what happens. My target is the Olympics, of course, but I want to give my best and make sure I am being careful too because I am coming at the back of an injury, and somewhere in one's mind that stays, the fact that the injury was there. It lingers in my mind too.  

"If there were no Olympics and just the meet, then I would've probably strategised things differently but for now the aim is to test the waters. See where I am standing. So far I am all good, my technique is good. 

"The meet will have eight top competitors and we'll each get six attempts so I'll see how I'm feeling, there are one, two, three, attempts and further, so there is enough space to test." Arshad always believes that he competes with himself first and others second.  

"I compete with myself, I focus on my performance during the competition, but still one thinks about others. I think at the Paris meet my main competitors will be Germany's Julian Weber and Czech thrower Jakub Vadlejch," said Arshad. 

On the other hand, it will be an India versus Pakistan scenario with Kishore Jena also competing at the meet. Arshad's friend and on-field foe Neeraj Chopra has opted out of the event and chose to concentrate on his training for the Olympics without this practice meet of sorts.

While Arshad had been battling with injury challenges, Chopra had gone on to bag a silver medal at the Doha Diamond League and won gold at Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland last month.

Training in South Africa 🤸‍♀️🏋️‍♂️🧘‍♀️

Earlier this year Ashad also reunited with Terseus Leibenburg for five weeks in which he said they worked on the run-up and the technique earlier this year. 

"I feel I improved my run-up, and we worked on the technique. I can feel the difference with the changes we made, and hopefully, we'll see what the results look like after this event." 

Arshad also trained with Leibenburg before going to the Tokyo Olympics for two months, but he says this time, he has been more aware of technicalities and expertise. 

"When I went to train with him first I was really just caught up with a lot of things, I was paying attention to everything, and I got to learn a lot, I was more aware of how to go about my training and I learned more specific things from him," said Arshad. 

Arshad and Butt are in touch with Leibenburg through online channels and have been receiving guidance regularly. 

☀️Heat wave challenge

Meanwhile, training in Pakistan has been a challenge due to the weather conditions as the country has been experiencing heat waves with temperatures and humidity soaring on a regular basis.

The former cricket explained that they had to make sure he protected himself from heat while training and changed their schedule a bit.

"We trained at cooler times, we tried because the heat was bad, but also I am a Pakistani, I'm born here, so I have to get used to these conditions. The excessive sweating made things worse so we tried to go for times that are a bit cooler.

"I am glad I came to Paris right now, people are nice in the weather too, so the body gets some respite from that kind of weather."

🌟Message for support🌟

In his message to the athletics fans and Pakistani, he reiterated the need for support and prayers. 

"I just want to request for support and prayers. Please, keep me in your prayers for this event and also the Paris Olympics because that is the ultimate dream that I need to fulfill for Pakistan. I want to win that Olympic medal for the country after 32 years."

"I missed out on a medal at the Tokyo Games after a close fight, but it was just not my day back in 2021, but now I can feel that things can be different. So, pray for my success, please." 

A version of this post appears here.

I hope your morning/evening/afternoon/night is going great. Whenever you are reading this.⌛

Welcome to Lost on the Desk edition #2.

Today's big stories so far will be Colombia holding Brazil 1-1 in Copa America, Turkey continuing their fairy tale run at the Euro 2024 after defeating very 'entertaining' Austria 2-1, Dutch triumph over Romanians, while on Wimbledon front Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz, Swiatek all going strong.

Special smiles as One Jabeur makes it through to the next round too.

Another piece of news that's captivating is the suspension of Mali Captian Hamari Traore for inciting rebellion against the national federation.

Some more interesting bits are swimmers being excited about new 'rocket suits' that they will be donning at the Paris Olympics.

A great tennis-snooker cross over when Novak Djokovic asks Ronnie Sullivan for snooker tips.

The major tournaments happening at the moment are Euro 24, Copa America, Wimbledon, and preparations for the Paris Olympics.

I hope you enjoy the news in this letter 📜, feel free to discuss anything from/about the news here, if I've missed something too.

Do check the trivia, quote of the day and in general .

Thank you and stay awesome!! ❤️

💭 Quote of the day

PHOTO: GETTY

Montella: Everyone gave a bit extra in terms of their soul, and for a head coach, you know that there are matches such as these and you can only win matches such as these if there is a soul within the squad. There's that belief, that conviction. I could go on all night, but I saw all of those attributes, and that makes me very proud.

Turkey Coach Vincenzo Montella on defeating Austria at 2024 Euro. REUTERS

❓ Trivia

Who is the current world number on in women's squash?

A. Nour ElSherbini

PHOTO: GETTY

🦸Total Legend

Marta named in Brazil's squad for sixth Olympic Games

PHOTO: GETTY

MEXICO CITY. Brazil's all-time leading scorer Marta will play in her sixth Olympics after being named in the squad for the Paris Games unveiled on Tuesday by coach Arthur Elias.

The 38-year-old striker, who also played at her sixth World Cup last year in Australia, said in April she will retire from internationals at the end of the year.

Marta was part of the Brazil team that claimed silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Games. "She brings a lot to the table, she's the greatest athlete of all time," said Elias of the Orlando Pride player.

"She's playing well, she deserved to be on this list. "Marta's performance, especially after she came back to play for her club, which is fighting for the top spot in the U.S., her behaviour, with or without the ball, makes all the athletes see her as an example." REUTERS

Rest In Peace

PHOTO: AFP

Former high jump world champion Freitag found dead in South Africa

GDANSK. South African former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag has been found dead with gunshot wounds having been missing for two weeks, South African media reported on Tuesday.

According to Netwerk24, Freitag, 42, was found in the grass near a cemetery in Pretoria West, South Africa, and police are treating the case as murder.

He was reported missing after he was last seen leaving his mother's house with an unknown man late on June 17.

Freitag won world championships at youth, junior, and senior levels. He took gold in the high jump at the 2003 World Championships in Paris. He jumped a personal best 2.38 metres in 2005. REUTERS

'Thorough review' after teenage badminton player's death

KUALA LUMPUR. Badminton's governing body on Tuesday announced a "thorough review" following the death of a promising Chinese teenager who collapsed during a match.

Seventeen-year-old Zhang Zhijie was playing at the Asia Junior Championships in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta on Sunday when he suddenly fell to the floor.

Indonesia's badminton association (PBSI) and Badminton Asia said he was promptly rushed to hospital but died that night having suffered a cardiac arrest.

However, there were questions about the medical response at the venue. Footage showed it took 40 seconds from when Zhang collapsed for any kind of help to arrive on the court. AFP

💪🏾Rebellion

PHOTO: Hugo Pfeiffer/Icon Sport

Mali captain Traore suspended for inciting 'rebellion' in team

DAKAR. Mali captain Hamari Traore has been suspended for inciting "rebellion" after the publication of a letter criticising the national federation, an official told AFP on Tuesday.

Real Sociedad defender Traore was among the international players who published a letter last month deploring "poor management" and lack of professionalism among officials in recent years.

The players threatened to boycott the national team if the federation fails to remedy the crisis that, they say, Malian football is going through.

The letter, which was addressed to supporters, caused a stir in Mali. Traore failed to respond to a summons to appear before a disciplinary commission. AFP

The Cross-Over 🎱🎾

PHOTO: PA

Right on cue as Djokovic seeks snooker tips from 'Rocket Ronnie'

LONDON. What does a seven-time Wimbledon champion do when he sucks at snooker?

Call seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan of course.

Novak Djokovic admitted Tuesday that he is a huge fan of Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan, so much so that he invited the Englishman into his Centre Court box to see him open his All England Club campaign.

"I watch snooker just because of him. I watched when I was a kid," said Djokovic, 37.

"My father loved watching snooker. I only watched Ronnie. Whenever he would not play, I would not watch.

"It was really nice to have him around. Hopefully we're able to play some snooker because I'm really bad at snooker. I'm OK at pool or billiards, but snooker, I tried it twice, and it's really, really tough." AFP

Young Gun 🔫

'I made it': Thai 12-year-old fulfils Olympic skateboard dream

PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK. Five years after stepping on a skateboard for the first time, Vareeraya Sukasem will represent Thailand at the Olympics, aged just 12.

Vareeraya, known by her nickname "ST", booked her place in dramatic fashion at a qualifying event in Budapest last month and will be one of the youngest athletes in Paris.

Feeling "pressured and stressed" going into the event -- the last chance to qualify -- Vareeraya failed to make the final round and headed to doping control thinking her hopes were dashed.

"While waiting for my testing result, my mom messaged me: 'ST, you made it to the Olympics!'," she told AFP. "I was so happy. I screamed in the middle of the room because I was so happy that I had really made it." AFP

🏊‍♀️ Olympic swimmers hope for winning edge with latest 'rocket suits'

SYDNEY. Swimmers battling for gold at this month's Paris Olympics are banking on the latest cutting-edge swimsuits to be their secret weapon in the pool.

Competitors believe innovation can be the difference in a sport where medals are sometimes decided by a mere fingertip, although the evidence is not so sure.

Driven by technology that takes inspiration from space travel, Speedo has produced a new version of its Fastskin LZR Racer suit billed as its most water-repellent ever.

Claiming to provide a sense of "weightlessness", it will be worn by top swimmers including Emma McKeon from Australia, the American Caeleb Dressel and Britain's Adam Peaty as they strive to shave every hundredth of a second off their times.

"It's my own little Speedo rocket suit," said freestyle and butterfly ace Dressel, who won five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in an earlier version of the suit. AFP

⚽Brazil held by Colombia in Copa America, to face Uruguay quarter-final

PHOTO: AFP

SANTA CLARA.Colombia came from behind to grab a 1-1 draw with Brazil on Tuesday, ensuring their qualification to the Copa America quarter-finals as group winners.

An equalizer from Daniel Munoz in first half stoppage time was enough to earn Colombia a share of the spoils after Raphinha had fired Brazil into the lead with a sublime 12th-minute free-kick at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The result means Colombia advance to the knockout rounds as winners of Group D, where they will face Group C runners-up Panama in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday.

But Tuesday's draw means Brazil will face a titanic showdown in Las Vegas on Saturday against arch-rivals Uruguay, winners of Group D with a perfect record. AFP

Costa Rica beat Paraguay but exit Copa America ⚽

AUSTIN. Costa Rica scored two early goals to beat Paraguay 2-1 in their final Copa America Group D match on Tuesday but failed to move into the quarter-finals after finishing third following Brazil's 1-1 draw with Colombia.

Colombia finished as group winners with seven points while Brazil also advanced as runners-up with five.

Costa Rica return home with four points while Paraguay exit after three losses. "This was a very tough group. We were playing against Brazil and Colombia, two of the four favourites to win the Copa," Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro told reporters. REUTERS

⚽ High-energy Turkey march on to last eight after Austria triumph

LEIPZIG. "Turk ahead, Turk forward", words from a Turkish patriotic song, and proudly displayed on a banner by the Turkey supporters at Leipzig Stadium, and their team took those lines to heart to beat Austria 2-1 and advance to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

With Turkey deprived of their suspended captain Hakan Calhanoglu and defender Samet Akaydin, due to a mixture of ill discipline and a card-happy referee in their last game, Austria came in as favourites. Austria coach Ralf Rangnick's high press, aggressive football was the talk of the tournament, but from the off it was Turkey who took the game by the scruff of the neck and never let it go. REUTERS

Malen doubles up as Dutch beat Romania to reach Euro 2024 quarters ⚽

MUNICH. The Netherlands swept into their first European Championship quarter-final since 2008 as Donyell Malen scored twice in a 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16 on Tuesday.

Cody Gakpo gave the Dutch an early lead but they were unable to convert pressure into a crucial second goal until the Liverpool forward set up Malen with seven minutes remaining in Munich.

Romania were gritty but outclassed, lacking the quality to punish their opponents' profligacy before Malen added his second on the counter in stoppage-time.

The victory put the Oranje on course for a quarter-final clash with Turkey or Austria, who beat the Netherlands 3-2 in the group stage.AFP

⚽♔ Brazil creates King Pele Day in honor of football icon

RIO DE JANEIRO. Brazil football legend Pele will be honored in his home country by a commemorative day baptised "King Pele Day", reported Tuesday's edition of the government gazette.

Considered by many the greatest footballer of all time, Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- better known as Pele -- won three World Cups with Brazil and scored more than 1,000 goals over his storied career.

"King Pele Day" will be held on November 19 -- the date on which the striker scored his 1,000th goal in a match for boyhood club Santos at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana Stadium in 1969. AFP

🎾End of an era as 'disappointed' Murray withdraws from Wimbledon singles

LONDON. Two-time champion Andy Murray called time on his Wimbledon singles career on Tuesday after the "extremely disappointed" former world number one lost his battle to recover from back surgery.

However, the 37-year-old, who plans to retire after the Paris Olympics, will still experience an emotional farewell at the All England Club when he plays doubles with brother Jamie later in the tournament.

Murray underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his back last month, a procedure he described as "not insignificant".

The operation left him without full feeling in his right leg and placed in peril his final appearance at the tournament. AFP

Alcaraz, Sinner eye Wimbledon third round 🎾

LONDON. World number one Jannik Sinner takes on Italian compatriot and former runner-up Matteo Berrettini for a place in the Wimbledon third round on Wednesday.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and four-time major winner Naomi Osaka also target places in the last 32.

Alcaraz faces a man who once defeated him in a Grand Slam qualifier while Osaka's rival is the daughter of an American billionaire.

AFP Sport looks at three matches to watch on day three of the tournament:

Italian men's tennis has rarely been stronger, with the country boasting five players in the top 50 while the nation swept to Davis Cup glory last season.

Ten Italian men started the singles tournament this year at Wimbledon. AFP

🎾Swiatek downs Kenin in battle of Grand Slam champions

PHOTO: AFP

LONDON. Only once in her 21 previous Grand Slam appearances had Iga Swiatek perished in the first round - at Wimbledon in 2019.

When this year's All England Club draw pitted her against fellow Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin, there were fears that Swiatek could be in for another short, and not very sweet, stay at the grasscourt major.

After all, the Polish top seed has yet to find her comfort zone on grass, having never reached a final on the sport's slickest surface, and she was also up against a rival who had toppled crowd favourite Coco Gauff in the opening round just 12 months ago.

Despite some jittery service games early on, with the first four games featuring nine break points and both players dropping serve, it took Swiatek just 79 minutes to safely negotiate past the potential first-round banana skin. REUTERS

🎾Jabeur blasts her way into Wimbledon second round in under an hour

LONDON. Ons Jabeur blasted her way into the second round at Wimbledon on Tuesday evening with a 55-minute, 6-3 6-1 demolition of Japan's Moyuka Uchijima.

The Tunisian 10th seed, runner-up for the last two years, made light work of her world 68th-ranked opponent, breaking her immediately to take a 3-0 lead before each held their serve for the rest of the first set.

Jabeur then cranked up the power a notch in the second set, while simultaneously shutting down the angles as she snuffed out Uchijima's game. As the game drew to a close the Japanese player, making her first appearance in the main draw in south London, looked skyward a number of times in obvious frustration. REUTERS

🎾Rublev crashes out in Wimbledon first round

LONDON. Andrey Rublev crashed out of Wimbledon at the first hurdle on Tuesday, going down in four sets to Argentina's Francisco Comesana.

The Russian sixth seed battled back after losing the first set but lost momentum early in the third and went down to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) defeat.

Rublev, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, struggled for consistency on his serve and was broken four times in the match by his opponent, ranked 122nd in the world.

The 26-year-old, who smashed his racquet repeatedly against his knee in frustration in the third set, is the highest-seeded men's player to exit the Championships so far.

Comesana will face Australia's Adam Walton for a place in the last 32. AFP

Defending champion Vondrousova out with a whimper 🎾

LONDON. Marketa Vondrousova became the first defending Wimbledon women's champion to make a first-round exit for 30 years as she was bundled out by Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Tuesday. REUTERS

🚲Pogacar 'hits hard' in Alps to reclaim Tour de France lead

VALLOIRE. Two-time former champion Tadej Pogacar soloed to victory in stage four of the Tour de France in the Alps on Tuesday to reclaim the overall leader's yellow jersey on the first major mountain challenge.

Massed ranks of rowdy cycling fans, many of whom had camped overnight, packed the roadsides cheering the riders all the way up the magnificent beyond category Col du Galibier mountain.

Slovenian superstar Pogacar's triumph was built by his UAE Team on the ascent with three teammates still with their leader when all the 2020 and 2021 champion's rivals had been stripped of their shattered sherpas. AFP

No over-age players in Japan Olympic men's football squad

TOKYO. Japan named no over-age players in their Olympic men's football squad Wednesday, with officials admitting they could not secure club releases for Europe-based stars such as Liverpool's Wataru Endo.

Olympic men's football is an under-23 tournament, but up to three older players are allowed in each squad.

However, clubs do not have to release players as the Games take place outside the official FIFA international windows.

Japan team director Masakuni Yamamoto said it had been "difficult" to call up Europe-based players, even under-23s such as Real Sociedad attacker Takefusa Kubo.

Endo, 31, had been touted in Japanese media as a potential call-up along with Borussia Monchengladbach's Ko Itakura and Sporting Lisbon midfielder Hidemasa Morita.

Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk to play Champions League in Gelsenkirchen

BERLIN. Ukrainian football side Shakhtar Donetsk announced Tuesday they will play next season's Champions League games in Gelsenkirchen, home of German team Schalke, the next stop in the club's exile from their war-torn country.

Shakhtar were forced to leave their home ground, the Donbas Arena in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, after Russian-backed separatists seized control of the region in 2014.

After Russia's full-scale invasion, Shakhtar took their European fixtures to Poland in the 2022-23 season, but with Legia Warsaw qualifying for Europe in 2023-24, the Ukrainian club played at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion. AFP

Malawi striker Chawinga joins Lyon women

LYON. Malawi captain Tabitha Chawinga has joined Lyon in the French women's first division, the champions announced on Tuesday.

Striker Chawinga, 28, was the league's top goal-scorer last season while on loan at Paris Saint-Germain from Chinese outfit Wuhan Jianghan University.

Chawinga, who spent the previous season on loan at Inter Milan, scored 19 times in 21 league games for PSG as she became the first player from Malawi to play in the French top-flight.

"It was an ambition of mine to sign for a great club," Chawinga said in a Lyon statement.

"I hope to be able to inspire other people from Malawi to follow in my footsteps by playing here, in Europe," she added having signed a deal until 2027. AFP

🍃AC-free ambition for Paris Olympic village melts away

PARIS. Although designed to be eco-friendly and free of air-conditioning, the Paris Olympic village will be fitted with 2,500 temporary cooling units when athletes arrive later this month, organisers said Tuesday.

The complex in a northern suburb of Paris was built as a showcase of environmentally friendly technology and has a geothermal cooling system that uses cool water pumped from deep beneath the ground.

But the lack of air-conditioning has long worried some national Olympic teams, with athletes concerned about missing sleep, particularly given the summer heat waves suffered by Paris in recent years. AFP

🏏England cricket great Boycott reveals second cancer diagnosis

LONDON. Geoffrey Boycott has been diagnosed with throat cancer for the second time and will undergo surgery, the England cricket great announced Tuesday.

Boycott, 83, was told last week the cancer had returned, having been previously treated for the illness in 2002 with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The former opening batsman is now set to have an operation to remove the cancer in two weeks' time.

In a statement to Britain's Daily Telegraph, for whom he is still a columnist, Boycott said: "In the last few weeks I have had an MRI scan, CT scan, a PET scan and two biopsies and it has now been confirmed I have throat cancer and will require an operation. AFP

Hello 👋 and welcome everyone to the Lost on the Desk newsletter!

I can't believe that I am finally launching this, I am very excited for this little your very own sports news page that you can find in your inbox daily without the chaos of news websites or social media.

You'll find the top and interesting stories in the past 24 hours that have made big, that can make or break your day and most of all it'll keep you on top of all the sports affairs (well mostly).

The major sporting events are of course Euro 2024, Copa America, build up and everything related to the Olympics, and Wimbledon.

I am sending out the first edition, almost a little before the Wimbledon matches begin and just in the wake of USA's exit from Copa America and Panama's progression into the knockout round.

Also there has been some delicious pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo upset like a little .....(insert your adjective, but we generally do not support anyone who has had history of rape) after missing his penalty during the extra-time against Slovenia in the last-16 European Championship (Euro 2024) game.

Any ways, there’s trivia in there too. You can go all the way to go through your news. Have fun and discuss anything in comments if you wish. ❤️

Stay awesome!!

Most Heartening News of the Day

Girmay becomes first Black African to win a Tour de France stage

CHAMP: Wanty team's Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay cycles to the finish line. PHOTO: AFP

TURIN. Eritrea's Biniam Girmay became the first Black African rider to win a stage on the Tour de France when he prevailed in a reduced bunch sprint at the end of the third stage on Monday. Girmay, who was already the first Black African to win a grand tour stage at the 2022 Giro d'Italia, timed his effort to perfection to beat Colombian Fernando Gaviria and Belgian Arnaud de Lie, second and third respectively. Richard Carapaz took the overall lead, becoming the first rider from Ecuador to wear the yellow jersey, which he snatched from the shoulders of Tadej Pogacar on added places without time differences. Pre-stage favourite Jasper Philipsen of Belgium was involved in a huge crash with 2.3km left of the stage. REUTERS

The Quote of the Day

GIRMAY: There are many obstacles for African riders. I had to come to Europe, learn English, learn the cycling language, it takes time and support. I should thank my team because with them I have grown every season.

❓ Trivia of the day

Who won the 2020 Tokyo Olympics badminton men's singles title?

A. Viktor Axelsen

THE FIRSTS

First Palestinian Olympic boxer fights hurdles before history

WARRIOR: Boxer Waseem Abu Sal PHOTO: PALESTINIAN OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION

BEITUNIA. Every morning Palestinian boxer Waseem Abu Sal checks texts from his Cairo-based coach -- a Gazan who cannot travel to him in the occupied West Bank -- to see his daily Olympics training schedule as he prepares to make history. The 20-year-old will be the first Palestinian boxer to participate in the Olympics after he bagged a wildcard spot and now dreams of delivering the first-ever medal for the Palestinians when he competes in Paris. "This has been my dream since I was 10 years old," he told AFP the day after receiving the invitation last week. "Every day I went to sleep and woke up thinking about how I could reach the Olympics." Abu Sal will take on his first Olympic fight on July 28 after an unusual training routine with his remote coach Ahmad Harara, 32, who is held back by Israeli travel restrictions. AFP

Wilson, at 16, becomes youngest male USA track Olympian

YOUNG AND AMAZING: Quincy Wilson. PHOTO: GETTY

WASHINGTON. Quincy Wilson, at age 16, could become the youngest American male athletics competitor to appear at an Olympics as a member of the 4x400m relay pool at Paris. Wilson finished sixth in the 400m final in 44.94secs, missing out on an individual spot, but USA Track and Field's relay selectors delivered the news Sunday he was in the relay group. "WE GOING TO THE OLYMPICS," Wilson posted on Instagram. The previous youngest US athletics competitor at an Olympics was Jim Ryun, who was 17 years and 137 days when he ran at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. AFP

SOME GUTS

France star Kounde calls on voters to block far right in elections

ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY: Jules Kounde. PHOTO:TRIBUNA

DUSSELDORF. France's Euro 2024 star Jules Kounde called on voters in the country to block the far-right National Rally party from winning a majority in the snap parliamentary elections, ahead of the second round of voting next weekend. The National Rally (RN) came out on top in the first round of voting on Sunday with 33 percent of the vote, raising the prospect that they might take control of government. That has left the centrist camp of President Emmanuel Macron and a left-wing alliance scrambling to stop such an outcome. "Obviously I was disappointed to see the direction our country is taking with a big level of support for a party that is against our values of unity and respect, and that wants to divide the French people," Kounde. AFP

REST IN PEACE

Chinese player Zhang died of cardiac arrest, Indonesia association says

GONE TOO SOON: Zhang Zhijie. PHOTO: BBC

JAKARTA. Indonesia's badminton association (PBSI) said 17-year-old Chinese player Zhang Zhijie died as a result of cardiac arrest after he collapsed during a match on Sunday. Zhang was competing at the Asian Junior Championship in Yogyakarta when he collapsed on court. He received medical attention at the scene and was then rushed to hospital in Yogyakarta before being pronounced dead, state news agency Antara quoted PBSI spokesperson Broto Happy as saying on Monday. "The conclusions of the examination and treatment of the victim from two hospitals show the same results, the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest," Broto added. Zhang had no pulse when he arrived at the first hospital, Broto said. REUTERS

USA crash out of Copa America as Uruguay, Panama advance

JOB WELL DONE: Mathias Olivera of Uruguay celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 Group C match between United States and Uruguay at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. PHOTO: AFP

KANSAS CITY. Hosts United States crashed out of the Copa America on Monday after a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay, as Panama sealed their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Bolivia. Defender Mathias Olivera scored to give Uruguay the win that sees them advance to the quarter-finals as group winners, with the South Americans winning three of their first-round matches for the first time since 1959. Panama's 3-1 win over Bolivia saw them finish second on six points, three ahead of the United States. The biggest cheer of the night from the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium came in the second half when Bolivia scored an equaliser against Panama in the other Group C match, briefly moving the U.S. up to second place, but their joy was short-lived. AFP/REUTERS

Ronaldo's tears turn to cheers as Portugal survive his Euros penalty miss

PHOTO: AFP

FRANKFURT. Cristiano Ronaldo went from tears to cheers as the Portugal star recovered from missing a penalty during extra-time to score in his side's dramatic shoot-out win over Slovenia in the Euro 2024 last 16 on Monday. Ronaldo had a chance to put Portugal ahead late in the first period of extra-time in a tense, goalless tie in Frankfurt. The 39-year-old stepped up to take the spot-kick after a foul on Diogo Jota, but his effort was superbly saved by Jan Oblak. After scoring his previous 29 penalties, Ronaldo was visibly stunned to see Oblak keep out his shot and held his head in disbelief. Seconds later the whistle went for half-time in extra-time and that was the signal for Ronaldo to start openly weeping. AFP

Late own goal gives France 1-0 win over tame Belgium

DUSSELDORF Jan Vertonghen's late own goal took France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Monday as they edged Belgium 1-0 in a tense tie in Duesseldorf. France had dominated the last-16 clash but their profligate finishing looked set to force extra time until they finally found a way through with five minutes left. Substitute Randal Kolo Muani collected the ball inside the Belgian penalty area and hit a shot that was going wide until a deflection off the unfortunate Vertonghen took it past goalkeeper Koen Casteels. The lucky break sent the 2022 World Cup runners-up into a last-eight tie in Hamburg on Friday as they remain on course to become European champions for the third time. REUTERS/AFP

Russian tennis player Rublev turns down Paris invite, Medvedev accepts

LONDON. Tokyo doubles gold medallist Andrey Rublev and fellow tennis players Darya Kasatkina and Anna Kalinskaya are among 12 Russians and Belarusians that turned down invitations to compete as neutral athletes at the Paris Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) published an updated list of neutral athletes on Monday with 2021 U.S. Open tennis champion Daniil Medvedev and women's world number 22 Ekaterina Aleksandrova among the 31 who had accepted. Athletes from Russia and Belarus, Moscow's closest ally in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, are barred from the Games except for the few who will compete as neutral athletes without flags or anthems. The IOC panel vetted athletes to ensure they have no connection to the military. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said the IOC was slipping "into racism and neo-Nazism". REUTERS

Djokovic, Murray launch Wimbledon campaigns

LONDON. Wimbledon greats Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray launch their campaigns at the All England Club on Tuesday after both went under the knife in the build-up to the Grand Slam. Djokovic, who had a knee operation after pulling out before his French Open quarter-final, is chasing a record-equalling eighth men's Wimbledon title and opens against Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva. Britain's Murray, a two-time champion, takes on another Czech, Tomas Machac, just over a week after having surgery to remove a cyst from his spine, in his farewell appearance at the tournament. Also in action on the second day of the championships is women's world number one and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, eager to progress beyond the quarter-finals for the first time. AFP

Alcaraz, Sinner win Wimbledon openers as Sabalenka pulls out

PHOTO: AFP

LONDON. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner reached the Wimbledon second round on Monday as Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka withdrew with an injury. As Alcaraz and Sinner, two of the men at the vanguard of tennis's new generation moved on, 37-year-old Andy Murray kept his fans guessing over his participation at the All England Club. Alcaraz defeated dreadlocked 269th-ranked qualifier Mark Lajal of Estonia 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 6-2, recovering from breaks down in the first two sets. The Spaniard, still only 21, is chasing his fourth Grand Slam title and hopes to become just the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back. AFP

Gauff breezes into Wimbledon second round as rivals fall

LONDON. Coco Gauff breezed into the Wimbledon second round on Monday with a straight-sets victory over US compatriot Caroline Dolehide after seeing two potential semi-final rivals exit the tournament. Second seed and US Open champion Gauff came through 6-1, 6-2 in just 64 minutes on Centre Court, avoiding a repeat of 12 months ago, when she was dumped out in the first round by fellow American Sofia Kenin. Earlier Monday, third-ranked Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the tournament with a shoulder injury. Eighth-seeded Zheng Qinwen was knocked out by New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun. Both women were in Gauff's side of the draw and potential opponents in the last four. "Wimbledon is the place where I believed that the dream was possible," said Gauff. AFP

Osaka wins see-saw match to reach Wimbledon round two

LONDON. Former world number one Naomi Osaka returned to Wimbledon after a five-year absence and navigated a tricky first-round match against France's Diane Parry on Monday, winning 6-1 1-6 6-4 with the help of nervous serving from her opponent. The 26-year-old Japanese, who entered the draw as a wildcard, looked to be in total command in the first set as her hefty groundstrokes struck the lines and her big serve continually forced Parry on to the back foot. But Osaka, who returned to the tour this year after 15 months of maternity leave, appeared to lose concentration and rhythm in the second set and 21-year-old Parry, ranked 53, took advantage. "I wish I could say I enjoyed (the match) all the time," Osaka, "My heart was racing." REUTERS

Inter Miami's Messi headlines MLS All-Star Game roster

TORONTO. Inter Miami's Lionel Messi headlined the list of 30 players named on Monday for this month's MLS All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio, against top talent from Mexico's LIGA MX. For Messi, who is in his first full season with Inter Miami after joining the club in July 2023, this marks his debut on a Major League Soccer All-Star roster. The 37-year-old, currently playing with Argentina at the Copa America, is joined on the roster by fellow Miami players Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Overall, 18 Major League Soccer clubs are represented on the roster, led by Columbus Crew (five) and Inter Miami (four). REUTERS

Fleming headlines defending champion Canada's women's soccer roster

TORONTO. Jessie Fleming headlined the Canadian women's soccer roster for the Paris Olympics that was revealed on Monday and features 13 players from the group that won gold in Tokyo. Fleming, who will serve as captain, is one of six women on the 18-player squad competing in their third consecutive Olympic Games while Jade Rose, who was Canada's young player of the year in 2023, is one of four making their Olympic debut. "It is always an honour to be a part of this team and an even bigger honour to represent the wider Team Canada in Paris," Fleming said in a Canada Soccer news release. REUTERS

Galatasaray sign Batshuayi from Istanbul rivals

ISTANBUL. Michy Batshuayi on Monday became the first foreign footballer to sign for all of Turkey's big three clubs when he joined Galatasaray. "An agreement has been reached for the transfer of professional football player Michy Batshuayi for three seasons," Galatasaray announced on its social media account on X. The 30-year-old striker, who was 55 Belgium caps but was not included in the country's Euro squad, has appeared for both the other Istanbul giants. He played the last two years at Fenerbahce, who finished as runners up to Galatasaray last season. He spent the 20201-2 season on loan at Besiktas from Chelsea. AFP

Afghanistan women want ICC help to create refugee cricket team in Australia

LONDON. Members of the Afghanistan women's cricket team effectively disbanded after the Taliban returned to power three years ago, have urged officials to help them reform as a refugee side based in Australia. The Afghanistan men's team have captivated cricket fans worldwide by their rapid rise to the game's Test-match elite, with Rashid Khan's side also reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last week. But their success has led to a renewed focus on how women's competitive sport in Afghanistan has collapsed since the Taliban regained power. As one of just 12 Test-playing teams, Afghanistan are required to have a women's team under International Cricket Council regulations. But the ICC have so far resisted calls to suspend Afghanistan from international competition for failing to field a women's side. AFP

Black Ferns great Woodman-Wickliffe to retire after 'last dance' at Olympics

PARIS. Double Rugby World Cup winner Portia Woodman-Wickliffe said on Monday that she will retire from the sport after this summer's Paris Olympic Games. Winger Woodman-Wickliffe, 32, and the Black Ferns are defending Olympic women's gold medal during the tournament in July. She won the World Cup in the shorter form of the sport in 2013 and 2018 having lifted the 15s title in 2017 and 2022. "After 12 incredible years representing New Zealand in 7s and 15s, the upcoming Paris Olympics will be my last time playing in the black jersey," Woodman-Wickliffe said on Instagram. AFP

NBA Celtics put up for sale two weeks after winning title

NEW YORK. Owners of the NBA champion Boston Celtics announced they were putting the club up for sale on Monday, two weeks after capturing the team's record 18th NBA championship. The Celtics were valued at $4.7 billion last October by Forbes magazine, having leaped 18% in value to rank behind only the Golden State Warriors ($7.7 billion), New York Knicks ($6.6 billion) and Los Angeles Lakers ($6.4 billion). Wyc Grousbeck led a group that bought the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million. AFP

Games organisers will hope for peaceful reaction to French election: ex-IOC executive

PARIS. The key risk to the Paris Games from the political uncertainty gripping France is public disturbances that could impact the already stretched security services, a former International Olympic Committee executive told AFP on Monday. The far-right National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen won a resounding victory in the first round of snap legislative elections on Sunday, with President Emmanuel Macron's centrists trailing in third behind a left-wing coalition. A second round of voting takes place next Sunday, just 19 days before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. A hung parliament could lead to months of political paralysis and chaos -- just as Paris is hosting the Games. AFP

Dan Ashworth joins Man Utd as sporting director

London. Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Dan Ashworth as their new sporting director after reaching an agreement with Newcastle. The two Premier League clubs issued a joint statement on Monday announcing that Ashworth had been released from his contract at St James' Park. The 53-year-old was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle earlier this year after expressing a desire to move to Old Trafford. No compensation details have been disclosed but it is understood Ashworth will be able to begin his new role at Old Trafford with immediate effect. AFP

Brazil coach expects tight contest against impressive Colombia

PHOTO: AFP

MEXICO CITY. Brazil coach Dorival Jr expects a tight game when they take on what he considers to be one of Colombia's finest generations of players in Tuesday's final Copa America group stage match. Brazil, second in Group D after a draw and a win, need a victory at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium to snatch top spot from Colombia, with their CONMEBOL rivals top after two wins. Colombia are already through to the quarter-finals while Brazil have all but reached the last eight. Dorival, who coached Colombia captain James at Sao Paulo, said he was familiar with his opponents' quality. "I think it's one of the best generations of Colombian footballers in recent years, with players who feature for major teams in the world, many of them within our country," the 62-year-old Dorival said. REUTERS

Coe makes pre-Olympics visit to Ukraine to give athletes support

PARIS. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said on Monday he had visited Ukraine and met the country's athletes to show them he "was in their corner" as the Paris Olympics approaches. Coe held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and attended the national athletics championships in Lviv at the weekend during the visit to Ukraine, which is fighting the Russian invasion for a third year. In a call with international media after returning, Coe said he had fulfilled a promise he had made to Ukrainian athletes that he would visit them in their beleaguered homeland. "I wanted them to know that I was in their corner. This wasn't about politics and passports, it really wasn't. It was about a commitment to go and see them and to let them know we think about them. AFP

Chelsea sign striker Guiu from Barcelona

MEXICO CITY. Chelsea have signed 18-year-old striker Marc Guiu from Barcelona on a five-year deal with a further one-year option, the Premier League side said on Monday. Barcelona academy product Guiu made his professional debut last October, announcing his arrival with his first goal after just 33 seconds, a late winner against Athletic Bilbao. He made seven first-team appearances and scored his first Champions League goal in the group stage against Royal Antwerp. He was Spain's joint-top scorer at the European under-17 Championship last summer with four strikes. "It's an immense joy to sign for Chelsea and I struggled to sleep ahead of the journey here because I was so excited," Guiu said. REUTERS

Athletes raising rights abuses must be protected, UN says ahead of Olympics

GENEVA. Athletes must be able to speak out on rights abuses such as racism and discrimination without fear of reprisals, the UN human rights chief insisted Monday ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Volker Turk said the Games, which begin on July 26, would be taking place against a backdrop of wars, and praised the courage of athletes who highlight rights violations. He was speaking at the UN Human Rights Council alongside International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. But during the subsequent debate, Russia lashed out at its exclusion from Paris 2024 over its war in Ukraine, accusing the IOC of "sordid tactics" and "collective punishment" of its athletes. AFP

Ding v Gukesh world championship match to take place in Singapore

LONDON. The classical chess world championship match between Indian Gukesh D and defending champion Ding Liren of China will take place from Nov. 20 to Dec. 15 in Singapore, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) said on Monday. "We are delighted that for the first time in the history of FIDE, a match for the World Championship will take place in Singapore. Not only is Singapore one of the most iconic global tourist and business hubs, but it is also a thriving chess centre with great ambitions and talent," FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement. Singapore was selected over Indian cities Chennai and New Delhi. Gukesh won the Candidates tournament in April to set up the match with Ding. REUTERS

If you are choosing to read this, then I must congratulate you for choosing to be actively political. I think reading is a revolutionary act too. Just know that I think its cool, just like the cat below.

I think reading posts of disenchanted legacy media correspondent is super radical. Its written in earnest and its read in earnest.

It was only last week that I finally understood my place as a journalist who happens to be a woman and who happens to write on sports.

It has been a week since I truly understood that being a woman, in sports writing is a very political statement.

In fact it is so political that as I am typing this I am stopping every two seconds because of the weight it bears.

The ideal to just write and earn a living, then to write as a woman in sports and earn a living, then to demand for a fair wage because being a woman and not actively participating into the practice of ‘selling oneself’ is also very political.

What if my selling point was always ‘not selling myself’?

Sports after all reflects society and the world we live in, it gives us heroes, to gives us villains a bit more real than any fiction. It gives us legends to feed on the stories of. It gives us cultural references too. So I guess I can finally write like everything is very personal-political, as it should be.

It has been a week since a meeting with the Editor-in-Chief of my publication who had no problem exploiting my passion for journalism and shaming me for asking for a fair wage.

It has been a week that I have had an unbearable ache in my nape. I am in need of writing this.

I think this need is very political too, dictated by the way media industry works or just find it in the convolutions of our brains to make things look better than they are and make them sell.

It’s been almost 15 years that I have been a published writer and I am still finding it hard to find my voice and not tell a story.

Its good to just not tell a story sometimes,not analyse, not srategise for a bit and just listen to the effect of the capitalistic, misogynistic, post and a very grim world on us.

For just a bit, it is not about analysing, but just about sharing.

I want this space to be such. Where I can engage in just limning the sports landscape through a lens of someone who is inherently competition averse and yet cannot take her eyes of the people who actively choose to carve careers in sports while holding a citizenship of a country that does not respect sports, literature, music, science or respectable life for that matter.

Its hell of a political statement by these athletes, big or small, accomplished or just getting there to carry on.

To not flee from their roots, to stand their ground, to stick around and to just carry on.

I have not written anything in more than two months, before that I became reluctant to write because the culture in the newspaper that I write for is toxic for mental health, because the paper is affiliated with another renowned newspaper from New York whose name towards the end rhymes and has utterly biased coverage when it comes to the genocide in the Middle East and complete disregard for people of coulr in general.

Anyways..this is going to be my first post.

My first post on May 24 2024, its meant to heal me and you too if you stick around, and the athletes and history that I will be sharing here.

It is also around two months before the 2024 Paris Olympics. I am the first female journalist from Pakistan to have gotten an Olympics accreditation so there’s that.

Many stories on that front…I guess I’ll finally be able to write things my way.

I am wrapping this up for now because I have four stories to write and hopefully I’ll find you here to read them, if you are reading this that is.

Best,

Natasha

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