Moazzam Khan Klair, General Secretary, Pakistan Cycling Federation
Tahir Amin Malik
The Sports Times has taken an interview of Moazzam Khan Klair, General Secretary, Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF), in which he defined the scope of cycling in Pakistan.
Q. How do you see the scope of cycling in Pakistan and where does it stands in Pakistan?
A. As General Secretary, PCF,I would like to say that PCF President Azhar Ali Shah is playing a wonderful role to bring the cycling on right track and take it out from oxygen. But for this we need patronization of the government, sports departments, multi-national companies to get better results and for this we are also expending our work. There is more talent in cycling but it needs facilities and then the talent will come ahead and you will see the scope also. Unfortunately our talent in cycling is wasting due to lack of facilities. Because of the facilities cyclists expected could not be provided and for sometimes a few cyclists came but left due to poor facilities. If we want a good name in international cycling, then first of all we would have to check the list of international rankings and their performance and we will have to take the review that where we are standing and what strategy and measures we should adopt. If Pakistan get 50 percent facilities like international countries then we can get more medals on international level.
Q. What kind of role you want from government to promote cycling on international level?
A.To bring the cycling on international level government should play vital role and provide facilities to the athletes in the shape of incentives. But unfortunately we could not provide our players bread and butter and we will have to save our players from these difficulties so that they could focus on sports. In our country our trainers and players do the training and then they move to do other works to look-after their families and these things also impact to produce players of international level.
Q. What is the role of Pakistan Olympic Association in cycling?
A.A. Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) is an important and big sports body in Pakistan that is supporting sportsmen/women of the country. POA is patronizing sports bodies and monitoring all the issues, but it should also play a role in cycling, without its permission we cannot go to participate on international level, so I would like to say that POA should promote cycling.
Q. Do you think our sports departments should be attached with Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to come at one platform?
A. I think our sports departments play vital role for promotion of sports. They should work with one vision and their priority should be one that they should focus their energy on the players and should not confuse them and accept each other and work together. Like Arshad Nadeem, who won gold medals in Commonwealth Games and Islamic Solidarity Games, whom everybody is appreciating but when he came on number 5 nobody care him. So this is the situation that if you perform well everybody will praise you and if not nobo appreciate you. Everybody take credit when you win title. Our sports departments should work with unity and should support the players. We will have to pay self-respect to them and work with respect to each other. We will have to get rid of our Ana and will have to work for our country to fly our flag high. We can go to sports departments and federations for promotion of sports all over Pakistan.
Q. What will you say about the Sports Policy of Pakistan?
A. This is impossible that any single person can make sports policy for this sport. For this sports person, sports departments/ association make strategy for the sports policy. The sports policy should be run long time and should not be derailed. If the new government take charge then nobody should derail it and it should continue on long term and due to this better result could be achieved. The Sports Policy should be made with the consultation of think tanks and knowledgeable sports persons/ consultants. A good sports policy can change the complexion of sports in any country.
Q. What future you see of cycling nationally and internationally?
A. Cycling in Pakistan is going up and credit goes to PCF President, Syed Azhar Ali Shah, who is playing a wonderful role for the promotion of cycling in Pakistan and I think his services in cycling are not forgettable and will have to remember always. I and Azhar Shah sahib are working day and night for the promotion of cycling in Pakistan. Once again I want to say that the government should also support this game and should provide facilities and come forward for cycling with other games. If government supports us I am assure that Pakistan can get more medals on international level. As you see that big example is Arshad Nadeem, he should be provided further training abroad. We have UCI level coaches and if government supports these coaches for training out of the country then there will be a good impact on Pakistan’s cycling. As our cyclists also need training abroad, these coaches can play important role for our cyclists. When we talked about our neighbour country, they are giving training to their cyclists in three different countries. Our government choose the cyclists and send them for training abroad so that our image in cycling could be better on world level and our players can win more medals.
Q. As PCF General Secretary what is your mission?
A. It’s my mission that being PCF General Secretary I want to do more struggle for the betterment of cycling in Pakistan and I think that in future I will be successful. It’s my aim that I should pay such kind of role that people remember me in the field of cycling as a role model and this is my vision that I bring good vision in cycling in future and in this regard Shah saheb is also working with me.
Q. To bring cycling on peak what steps you are taking?
A. . I hope that we will bring our cycling on right track but for this we need better infrastructure in cycling. We need wooden track because you know that we went India just two days ago and our players could not perform well due to lack of wooden track facilities. In comparison India have 14 wooden tracks and this is the reason they are achieving medals. Other facilities such as diet, cycling spare parts, nutrition are provided by Indian government so I would like to say that the facilities matter to produce good talent in any country.
Q. What role you are waiting from PCF President?
A. He is a genuine person in cycling and playing his role for the promotion of cycling. He is also a brave person and working very hard. I pay the tribute to Azhar Ali Shah after his wonderful services for cycling. All the credit goes to him to revive cycling in Pakistan.
Q, Cycling was not included in Commonwealth and Islamic Solidarity Games, what will you say about this?
A. The POA takes all the decisions and without their permission we cannot participate in any event. In other international event we are participating. We will participate in World Cycling event in Australia in September. POA did not acknowledge PCF whereas other countries took part in these events. This is unfortunate that Pakistan cycling could not take part, we haven’t parallel body and UCI is an international body. Asian Confederation and Pakistan Sports Board acknowledge PCF. Our aim is that POA should solve this matter, our doors are open, we can solve this matter through dialogue, our affairs can be solve through discussion and we are ready for this. For the sake of cycling in our country I and our President Azhar Ali Shah can come on any forum for the betterment of our country’s sports. For us Pakistan comes first, our flag should fly high, we should leave everything when Pakistan’s name come and for the promotion of cycling in Pakistan we will have to struggle not in this sports but in every field.
