Karachi: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Monem Zafar Khan announced that 'Karachi Olympics' would be organized across the city under the banner of the JI from January 21 to February 1.
The JI leader announced this while addressing a press conference, held at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters, here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the 'Utho, Aagay Barho Karachi' (Rise and Move Forward, Karachi) themed games will serve as a milestone in promoting youth participation, bringing hidden talent to the forefront, and projecting the brighter face of Karachi.
Registration for the event will remain open from January 8 to January 16, he said, adding that aspiring participants can register in person at Jamaat-e-Islami's central secretariat, Idara Noor-e-Haq, from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm, while online registration will be available 24 hours a day.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Karachi Olympics will feature competitions in 16 different sports, including hockey, cricket, football, city marathon, boxing, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, tug of war, dodging ball, cycling, martial arts, throwball, rope skipping, and archery.
The competitions will be held at UC, town, and district levels, while the closing ceremony will take place on February 1.
Monem Zafar further said that Pakistan, particularly Karachi, had a large youth population, but unfortunately, the state failed to take effective measures to promote youth development, polish their abilities, and engage them in positive activities-despite this being a fundamental responsibility of the government.
He emphasized that in sectors such as sports, IT, education, and skills development, the state should support young people and provide them with necessary facilities to make them dignified and productive citizens.
Quoting the official report of the Sindh Sports and Culture Department, he said Karachi has 238 playgrounds, but in reality, most of them have been destroyed due to encroachment mafias, commercialization, and government negligence.
The JI challenged the situation in court, and the court clearly ruled that commercial activities should not be allowed in parks and playgrounds, as these are public spaces.
Monem Zafar Khan stated that Karachi, which was once a center of education, culture, literature, and sports, has deliberately been stripped of its identity over the last 35 to 40 years. Youth were pushed away from education, moral values, and healthy activities, while playgrounds and parks were handed over to commercial interests. Today, only those who can pay fees are able to play, while grounds remain closed for others.
Citing examples of the Netherlands and Australia, he said that despite small populations, these countries have won dozens of Olympic gold medals, while Pakistan received a gold medal after 32 years, through Arshad Nadeem, proving that talent exists but lacks patronage.
On the occasion, he paid a rich tribute to the Karachi Olympics organizing team and Chief Organizer Rana Muhammad Anwar, and appealed to the youth of Karachi to register in large numbers.