Let us learn to respect players’and other cultures
Media Watch: Players are not machines.
They are not there to give their countries medals all the times.
If a country is mature enough to send a sport team to a tournament held in another country, it should also be mature enough to understand and appreciate cultures of other countries.
What happened in Pakistan – media running a moral story on their own players – is what is not desired at any time in any part of the world.
After the tournament is over, if some players mingle with the officials and others who helped them during their whole stay, what is wrong in it?
We are nowhere to comment what happened in Pakistan, in normal case it should not be our concern at all, but the problem here is the players who are at the receiving end of the hate campaign is all well known faces in India also, and have lot of sympathizers and supporters, as most of them were part of Premier Hockey League as well.
The same players their country’s media and some officials are hounding are excellent ambassadors of Pakistan whenever or wherever they played.
No sporting teams nowadays visits Pakistan due to spurt and all pervading terrorism, but at this juncture what that country not needed is — in the interest of that sporting country – is exactly what is going on now.
The problem in this part of world is, the television world is experiencing a new found freedom and it is an emerging industry. It is certainly not a mature medium nowadays, they are unaccountable for their acts of omission and commissions. Most of the television channels are mischief mongers as well. Televisions are ruining many peoples’ live, but they should spare national players. It has not happened in Pakistan.
In these conservative societies all of a sudden some culture vultures descend on the scene and assume the role of moral policing. Therefore we are not amused some officials in Pakistan all of sudden naming the players and telling they sullied the images, did something against the ethics, ethos, etc etc.
Societies at large have to be cautious about these culture vultures who never consider human values and human rights.
Unnecessarily a couple of girls were also brought into the disrepute on the basis of some photos. At no fault of theirs, they are put into unnecessary discomforts.
What we appeal is, leave the sportsmen to be sporting, let the societis not hound them.
We respect players, their sensibilities and their role in keeping the fellow beings in good humour. They have every right to choose the occasion and relax. It is nobody’s business except the players themselves.
Our sympathies are with the players and those who stood by them.
2 Comments
Dear Mr. Arumugam
I be a Hockey Fan and especially from Pakistan Hockey, so I would like to comment ur report about the happening in Argentina. We Fans be in first line there to support the Team in this we are using to give 100% and even we are expecting from our Team to give 100%. I will totally agree with that Players be humans not mashines, even they have a private life.But we fans see them only as player, we want see that they fighting 70 minutes if they win or loose will be not the matter, but what we want see is that the team concentrate on their game and hockey is their game. You be right that the team have to go to any tournaments in other nations and for sure also other culture circle, but that should not leave them to forget from where they come and which culture they have. Pakistan is a Islamic Country and culture and people should not think we are in argentina we behave like this people. I think why the media make a big deal out of this is because we are in Pakistan muslims and its not in our culture to drink alcohol and having photos in hugging position with any girls( and its not the matter she is any staff or not) especially if there are players who be married.. In our culture its a sin to behave like that. And this is here the big deal. What players do in their private life that should be not the matter of us fans. but when a sport team use to go to represent their country they should do with a proud full filled chest, because what ever they will do in a different country make the image of the people about our country. I as Muslim know really well about the image of Pakistan in this world so we should not behave like this. Even I am really shocked and dissapointed from Officals like Asif Bajwa who not control his players. Its his job to make the players focused on their game and not tolerate this behavier, it seems he dont full fill the roll as manager he try to be the allrounder in team to play coach in this tournament even, and his comment on the
and his comment on the pictures to say they not drink beer its energy drink we fans are not fool we see the bottle on pictures!!! I am really disapointed about pakistan hockey its our national sport and all news the team make is negative and if asif bajwa standing proudly and say yes what we reach 3 finals this year.. but how much we win one in france, and all with hockey knowledge will see that in that tournament wasn’t big hockey nations. Our team is not on the top like bajwa try to explain us! What I want to give as message is that we fans have no problems with pictures from girls me as fan also like to click pictures with my idols like sohail abbas, but its the way how this pictures are. Just we name one player which picture I saw was the picture of sohail abbas who stand serious and in a good way with this offical staff girl, its not a big deal I be proud on pictures like that bec its his dutty and job to full fill also fans wishes. while sport live from supporters, we are the one who make the game not only players!! But if I see pictures from players who behave wrong in it that this girl make a kissing mouth or hug players like but like a boyfriend or even we see players drinking alcohol then I feel ashamed of this, especially in tournaments where they present our culture and religion!! Thats not OK!!! When we see few weeks before a report about the team where the officals telling proudly we take away their players mobiles in night that they concentrate on their game not on their wife girlfriends family etc then i think this officals make us fool.. Whats the motto keep distance from family and enjoy or what?? Thats even also a double moral like you want tell us!!! Sooo pls dont forget about your own culture and dont take place in others.. we accept wrong behaviour from other cultures but not when our players forget about theirs