The Fall of Adriano

Adriano Leite Ribeiro, commonly known as Adriano, is a former professional football player. Due to his playing style, he was called the mix of Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović. However, a few years into his professional career, he lost his consistency and his fame and success went into serious decline.

To understand the reason behind, an in-depth analysis of his past is required. Adriano was born and raised in the favelas on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – the area was a poverty-ridden and gang-filled slum where a lot of shady stuff took place. Adriano would play football whenever he got the opportunity. It didn’t matter if it was in alleyways or dirt pitches; he loved the sport so much. His dream was to succeed at the game and make it a profession, to escape the favelas and support his family. The motivation to succeed came from his father, who supported his dream and struggled to make ends meet and never indulged in any of the ill-practices of their society. Adriano’s father saved up to help his son get into a youth football club, and Adriano never let him down – he performed as well as he could and stood out amongst his fellow players in terms of skills and stature.

After impressing a large number of people in and outside of the club, he was invited to play for better teams in bigger youth leagues.  In 1999 at the age of 17, Adriano got the opportunity to sign with Flamengo and his professional career officially began. He began dominating the Brazilian league with his incredible speed, strength and skill. In 2001, he signed with a contract with Inter Milan and finally got the chance to play and learn with the man he had always looked up to – the legendary Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima who became a mentor for Adriano.

In 2002, when Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid, Adriano got the opportunity to take the spotlight. He did not disappoint and became a superstar in Italy. He went on to climb the stairs of success and fame, until one day in 2004, the news of his father passing away reached him at the tender age of 22. This was devastating and changed him forever. He brought a new level of aggressiveness in his playing style and finally after almost a year of the incident, completely lost motivation to play due to struggle with depression and with addiction.

An Open Letter to the Government of Pakistan

After reading and writing different articles regarding sports; I have realized that Pakistan's sports authorities have perfected the act of neglecting talent. Our government is not willing to put any effort into honing the next generation of players. Their standardized response to these accusations is always along the lines of, “We do not have sufficient resources to invest in sports.” It is a true fact that our country is always in a perpetual state of a financial crisis but even still, the funds that the government does get for sports is not invested wisely. Corruption and incompetence do not let the money flow to where it needs to be going. Instead, it remains in the pockets of the executives at the top whose sole purpose is to look after themselves alone and refrain from doing their actual jobs. We all know how much politics prevails in this country and how much biasness takes place here.

Regretfully, I have to say that the Government has almost ruined most of the time saving their funds because this is all they ever see. We have an innumerable amount of talent here. 1992 was the only year when we were able to bring world cup home did we make any nark after that? No. 1994 was the time when Pakistan won the ey world cup. Did we make any mark after that? No. The list goes on and on. Each athlete or team that has been able to shine in these dismal conditions have done through their own sheer will and determination. There is no soft landing for our players because the government does not have their backs. People then and people now are totally different. They don’t support Pakistan like the people in the old times used to. All they care about is to be a successful entrepreneur and make money. The country is suffering from great loss not only regarding inflation but talent as well but to government, funds are just too beloved. Sports like football, volleyball are being played at schools children are not at all well aware of our national game. Government has been very myopic towards the sports of our country. I have written this in many articles and I am tired of reading and writing the same thing again and again. Our talented players have started resigning because they see absolutely no future of Pakistan on fields. Our team of every federation does not only needs the government's support but also need our support as well.

So, on behalf of the people of Pakistan, I implore the government to find the time and funds to invest in sports in Pakistan. This will not only help our country make a mark on the world but also help with the financial crisis. The world of sports involves a lot of money. Billion dollar industries have been created around sports. WWE, NCAA, NBA, IPL are all billion dollar companies. Our own PSL brings a lot of revenue. So the pros clearly outweigh the cons when it comes to investing capital and resources in cricket, football, hockey, squash, etc. So enable our players and talented athletes to awe the world with their talent and skills. 

Manchester City and Etihad Airways - The 400 Million Pound Deal that Transformed the Club

The 2007-2008 Premier League season could not finish fast enough for Manchester City. The final match was a nine goal thriller at Middlesbrough where unfortunately City conceited eight. In those days their hated local rivals are Manchester United, viewed City with disdain and disrespect rather than as an equal and saved their energy for teams like Liverpool and Leeds United. Behind the scenes, things were even worse. While City fans were excited at the start of the 2007 2008 season at the prospect of new tie owner Texan Shinawatra's promises of big spending and success. The investment in the likes of Rolando Bianchi, Felipe Caicedo and Alana didn't prove to be successful and the money from the new owner came from unreliable sources. The acquisition of the club by Sheikh Manso in September 2008 saved City. A large proportion of capital was spent on the club. This put the other clubs at unease. These established clubs put pressure on Platini the UEFA president to introduce some method of reducing this act of unchecked spending. After some time the UEFA Financial Fair Play rules were established.

Eyebrows had been raised in relation to City's deal with  Etihad Airways. The agreement was for 10 years at an estimated value of 400 million pounds. In 2014 a forty nine million pound fine was imposed and sanctions set. In 2015 under pressure from a series of lawsuits from unhappy clubs, UEFA relaxed the FFP rules this has allowed the likes of City and PSG to spend money more freely. 

Since 2011, the club has won 3 Premier League titles. So in hindsight, the 4 million pound deal which has been renegotiated since its original signing is probably about right for Pep Guardiola's team in the current market.

Naseem Hameed - The Fastest Woman in South Asia

There is no more prolific athlete in the track and field arena in Pakistan than Naseem Hameed. The famed track star began her career at the school level. As her skill and ability grew, she attracted the attention of an army coach with whom her skills were honed even further.  With her own innate ability, drive for perfection and success, and discipline she soon got a chance to represent Pakistan in the 2010 Asain Games where she claimed the title of the "Fastest Woman in South Asia". Her victory pose with both arms up and hands making a V for victory has become an iconic image that represents strength and women empowerment. 

Soon after Naseem Hameed's outstanding performance in the South Asian games, she decided to retire from track and field. But that didn't mean that she was completely going to abandon the one thing she worked so hard for all her life. No, soon after her retirement, Naseem Hameed decided to take on the responsibility of nurturing and developing the next generation of athletes. She became the head coach for her own academy called the "Naseem Hameed Sports Academy". 

The iconic track star has achieved and earned a lot of accolades so far. But unfortunately, in our misogynistic society, her achievements have been scoffed at by a large number of naysayers. To prove a point, the UN Women Pakistan launched the #BeatMe campaign which offered men the chance to beat the 11.81 seconds record in a 100-meter race of Naseem Hameed. The video showed a majority of overconfident men making light out her record. But each and every one of the challengers failed to even come to close to her time. 

Thus, showing us that Naseem Hameed is a force to be reckoned with. 

Pakistan's Quest for the Rugby Championship - A Dream or a Reality?

Rugby a sport based on running with a ball in hand, is a contact team sport originated from England in the first half of the 19th century. Introduced in Pakistan in 1925 and the Pakistan Rugby union created in 2000 as the representative of the sport in Pakistan.

Every year many teams of Asia take place in the Asian Rugby Championship, this year's championship is being hosted by Pakistan in the Rugby Academy Lahore Cantt.

Pakistan rugby team won the Asian Rugby division-III against Uzbekistan after leveling the series to 1-1.

Earlier, Pakistan won the first test against Uzbekistan with a margin of 43-13. While in the 2nd test Uzbekistan defeated Pakistan with a margin of 38-24. But Pakistan won the championship on the merits of better points in both matches played. Pakistan is now looking forward to qualifying for the Division-II of the Asian Rugby Championship.

Uzbekistan put Pakistan under immense pressure right from the go and were of to a flying start, as they scored their first try in the very first minute taking a 5-0 lead. The team scored their second try and also converted it turning their lead to 12-0. In the 21st minute, they scored again and stretched the lead to 17-0.

Pakistan team then changed their strategy by being more aggressive, which helped them to finally score in the 25th minute when they scored a try and then converted by the team's captain to reduce the margin to 17-7.

                            

The hosts tried to score through their aggressive strategy but could not succeed as the guests successfully scored in the 36th 39th and 40th minute increasing their lead to 31-7.

Pakistan made an excellent comeback by scoring in the 16th minute of the second half, but the guests also scored turning the score to 38-14.

Pakistan not losing hope scored 2 tries in the 36th and 41st minute changing the margin to 38-24 in favor of Uzbekistan. but Pakistan won the championship on the basis of scoring better points in both matches.

Now, the Pakistan Rugby team have their eyes set on winning the Division-II of the Championship. 

When Will Football Rise In Pakistan?

Football; the most popular sport on the planet. Played by millions all around the world. It is a pretty accessible sport. It is not reserved for the elite alone like golf. It can be played by anyone and anywhere, in groups or by yourself because all you really need is a ball. Pakistan is no exception to the craze of football. The game of football is played with as much passion as cricket. Given the lack of resources and structure, people have created informal teams and leagues of their own to promote football. In Karachi, Lyari is a place notorious for gangs and gun violence. However, that is also the place where the most exceptional talent of football comes from. So, it can be easily said that Pakistan has enough talent to compete against any international team in the world.

Strong, intelligent, physically fit, strong incentives, fully motivated, properly skilled then where is the problem? Why is the team facing problems to reach FIFA? Why are they not being able to qualify? The answer to this is Funds. Pakistan fear of losing funds which would be given by FIFA. Political clouds are creating a silver lining around football as well. FIFA has deferred PFF. Pakistan government is once again being MYOPIC about football as well despite the fact that the country unanimously supports football. Muslim countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and even Egypt made it to the world cup then why not Pakistan? Pakistan has talent but what they need is a good foreign coach. There are 210 countries under FIFA and Pakistan is on the 200^th. Football Federation needs to step up. Football in Pakistan is being deserted just like hockey. Why does the government not understand that once they invest in these games by providing and creating a proper opportunity our players will not let them down. There is a large chunk in Pakistan that supports football sightlessly. Pakistan these days is facing every possible crisis. The political environment has jeopardized our country. All this talent is being brutally squandered.  We are in need dire need of providence and providence takes place when talent meets opportunity. I as an individual request the government to put forth football and consider our sports as a priority. They need to be reminded that Pakistan is the epitome of raw talent all they need is the right direction by someone who holds a strong vision. As for the players who are struggling, I just want to share this:

                               “Always make a total effort even if the odds are against you”.

The Vital Role of Science and Technology in Sports

Why do humans play sports? We do not need sports to survive, and even if we did, why would we invite another team and compete? Bernard Suits stated in the 1970s that a sport is a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.

Competition is part of what makes us human. We strive to be better, stronger and faster. The Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” literally means “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. We set rules, invent sports, arrange contests, and we yearn to win. Science and technology are the tools we use to improve our performance. Sports and technology have been linked since the very first Olympic games more than 2000 years ago.

Over the ages, science and technology have helped athletes fulfill this motto to a great extent. For instance, the winner of the 2012 Olympic marathon ran two hours and eight minutes, which beats the winner of the 1904 Olympic marathon by an hour and a half. In the 100-meter race,  the time taken by sprinter Usain Bolt beats that of 1936 world record holder Jesse Owens; augmented reality shows that when Usain Bolt crosses the line, Jesse Owens would still have 14 feet to go. In 1954, Sir Roger Bannister became the first man to run under four minutes in the mile – college students do that every year nowadays. The record set for the longest distance cycled (30.7 miles) by Eddy Merckx was broken in 1996, and set at 35.03 miles. All of these feats were achieved through science and technology.

The introduction of carbon fiber tennis rackets, aerodynamic bikes, faster skis, lighter shoes, the flip-turn and full-body and low-friction sportswear, among various other transitions, have made a huge difference in all kinds of sports.

Moreover, athletes have gotten savvy about performance enhancing drugs and train more intelligently. The gene pool within competitive sports have changed. In contrast to the idea prevailing in the 20^th century that the average body type was the best for all athletic endeavors, highly specialized bodies are preferred for certain athletic clichés (ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs), as a result of which a form of artificial selection takes place.

Science plays the major role here; the selection of the best candidate from the gene pool, specialized diet and nutrition, intelligent training and finally, by adding modern sports equipment and gear into the mix, science has been able to ensure better results and progress for athletes and the sporting community.