Thumbs Up for 51%

It has not been a good year for Pakistan, as it has been passing through turbulent stage as not only devastating floods have inflicted unprecedented miseries on the people of Interior Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab but political turmoil, targeted killings in Karachi and high inflation have thickened the cloud of hopelessness.

But a better show at the Asian Games has brought some respect and joy for the nation.

We, who share fifty one percent of our total population shines in the Asian games staged in the city of lovers and now city of sports and peace as said by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, President of the Olympic Council of Asia. He hailed the Guangzhou Asiad "a huge success" and "the best ever" in history.

Our women came back proudly to the home soil grabbing a Gold medal in Cricket event, only major distinction achieved till now.

Our persistence with cricket at all levels is paying dividends.On the back of the national team's inspiring series draw against the world no.2 Proteas, women has won a gold medal in the Guangzhou Asian Games.And, of the eight medals won by Pakistani participants, two came from cricket itself. Apart from the gold in the women segment, our men cricketers came bagging a bronze among the men cricket teams.

Congratulations to our Asian gold winners in cricket. The ten-wicket victory over Bangladesh was scripted by teamwork as all triumphs are in the end.

Though India did not enter a team, the competition nonetheless was rather broad based with many teams participating. It may have been anything but world standard, still emerging at the top of the table took considerable grit and skill.

There is no short-cut to breeding talent and grooming cricketers of class except through organising more competitions and giving more exposure to our women overseas. The way forward is through better administration, organisation, improved facilities and acquisition of techniques for all-round skill development.