Karate star Kulsoom Hazara reminds sponsors, govt there is more to sports than cricket

Karate champion Kulsoom Hazara has become the latest non-cricketing athlete to be bogged down by financial strains that come with pursuing sporting dreams, which in her case is representing Pakistan at the Olympics.

Karate was added to the Tokyo Olympics 2020 but the entire Games were postponed for a year due to COVID-19. Subsequently, the qualifying tournament for the event was also postponed for a later date.

Kulsoom, who has won medals for Pakistan at various levels, says that she wants to carry the national flag into the Olympics next year but the hefty cost that accompanies the qualifiers threatens to obstruct her ambition.

“We, the karate players, are usually not well-off enough to afford our travel expenses that come with participating in various tournaments to keep our rankings up and qualify. We need sponsorship for that,” she explained to Geo Super.

“I want to play the qualifying tournament ahead of the Olympics next year and I hope there will be some support from the sponsors and government,” she said.

The champion karateka regretted that the country was so fixated on cricket and other sports were not getting the attention they, too, deserve.

“We are also doing something for the country like cricketers do. The sponsors and government should support us as well. I hope this attitude will change soon,” she said.

Hazara said that she’s now back to her routine following the Covid-19 lockdown, and has started training, albeit while following the SOPs, and is eagerly waiting for the resumption of competitions.

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