Rio 2016 & Alarming Terror Threats

Wary that the international sporting event is a potential prime target for terrorists, however the security authorities of Rio 2016 admit that the fears of terrorism during the event are more serious due to recent series of attacks elsewhere. Their apprehensions get further boost with a Twitter post by French jihadist Maxime Hauchard, after the coordinated terror attacks on Paris last November pointing out Brazil as the "next target". Besides, arrest of a group of 10 militants last week who were attempting to contact a weapons supplier in neighbouring Paraguay to get AK 47 assault rifles making the security concerns highly and dreadfully prone.

Brazil has traditionally faced very few terrorist threats in comparison with many other countries, partly for geographical reasons as well as for its longstanding neutrality and multi-culturalism in international affairs. Therefore most of the Rio 2016 security fears should consequently have  been centred around lower-level assaults and muggings than on wider terrorism. But the nation’s counter-terrorism director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency Luiz Alberto Sallaberry has warned that recent incidents in other countries is heightening their fears. 

This comes after devastating terrorist attacks in cities including Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta, Tunis and many others, almost always carried out by IS or associate groups. There have also been a rise in numbers of Brazilian nationals suspected of sympathising with IS militants in recent months, An organisation naming "Ansar al-Khilafah Brazil" has threatens to carry out attacks during the event and it was the first time someone from South America explained a supposed alliance with ISIS.

Two years ago Brazil successfully host the FIFA World Cup, which has much wider Television audience and touring spectator-ship. The Brazilian government pledged to spend US$900 million  into security forces making the tournament "one of the most protected sports events in history. So they have experience and infrastructure to ensure security for the Rio 2016. Brazil specially trained 53,000 public safety professionals for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, deployed by the state governments at each individual games venue. They were trained in three categories: experts, multipliers (who will help to transfer knowledge to other professionals) and operators. 

One of the special security measures that Brazilian government plans for the event’ security was to implement a facial recognition software, in which Brazilian police will use futuristic Robocop-style glasses fitted with facial recognition equipment to identify and root out troublemakers at the World Cup 2014. That’s based on a small camera fitted to the glasses that can capture 400 facial images per second and send them to a central computer database storing up to 13 million faces.

In 2016, for a safe and secured Olympics Brazil has taken extraordinary measures to counter any terror threat during the Games including intelligence-sharing with foreign security forces and greater training. The federal government said last week that it was releasing an extra $24m specially to beef up security ahead of the Olympics. Around 80,000 officers will be deployed during the event, plus separate security teams brought in by participating National Olympic Committees. This compares with a force of around 42,000 officers deployed during London 2012.

The Olympics will take place from August 5 2016, when the opening ceremony takes place at the Maracana, up to 21 of the same month and looking at the precedent and traditions in Brazil we can hope, the grand sports gala would be held without any untoward incident.

 By  M. Wasim

mwasim.370@gmail.com

Quetta Gladiators, curbing terrorism in Baluchistan

Amongst all the four chief ministers of Pakistan, only Baluchistan' Nawab Sanaullah Zehri was present in the UAE to attend the Pakistan Super League and support his provincial team the Quetta Gladiators. Pakistan is unable to hold sports events at home because of deteriorating law and order situation across the country and international teams and athletes reluctance to travel here, therefore the first edition of the League, constituted on five teams representing four provinces and the capital, was also staged in Emirates.

at convinced Nawab Sanaullah Zehri to attend the event in UAE and extend his politico--cultural support to the Quetta Gladiators is his honest conviction about the importance of sports for peace and development when he expresses "through promotion of sports the menace of use of drugs and terrorism would be frustrated."

Baluchistan is the Pakistan's largest and poorest province which borders Iran and Afghanistan on the west. Due to which it has unfortunately been affected by sectarian strife and Islamist violence, while on the other hand long-run insurgency and militancy had sapped people of life and hope.

                                           

Not only Nawab Sanaullah Zehri graced the inaugural edition of Super League in which Quetta Gladiators, representing the Baluchistan province, was the finalist. He had also announced in the unveiling ceremony of Quetta Gladiators logo at home, to continue to conduct Baluchistan Sports Festival in Quetta in March, 2016.

The festival, held between March 22 and March 29, 2016, was the 3rd annual edition but in 2016 it is marked with historic public attraction and participation. Inspired by the success of Quetta Gladiators in Super League, some 2,700 players came up to participate in 29 various sports disciplines. This affection for sports events in terms of spectators attendance and players participation was missing in Baluchistan and people fear to arrive in stadiums ever since 2011 when on July 29, two killed and thirty persons injured in a dreadful bomb explosion followed by intense firing during the All Pakistan Football Tournament, held in Mastung.

                                  

Though the concluding ceremony of the week-long Baluchistan Sports Festival 2016 was regrettably cancelled in the wake of tragic terror incident of Lahore, yet the sporting event has been marked as a success for peace and development. Not only it brought much-needed positive activity and normalcy in the province but distraction from the troubles of the region compelled armed rebels to surrender their arms before Pakistan Army. Dozens of various militant groups have given up their arms in the last 12 months so far. The militants who surrendered were from groups such as notably Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Baloch National Movement (BNM), and Lashkar-e-Balochistan (Army of Baluchistan).

It is remembered that in the unveiling ceremony of Quetta Gladiators Chief Minister Baluchistan Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had pointed out that "the people of Baluchistan have the spirit of fighting to the core and (therefore) the Quetta Gladiators would hopefully bring the PSL Cup to Baluchistan." On that occasion, presence of the opposition members testifies the unanimous solidarity for Quetta Gladiators and the fact that this cricket team has made the people from all walk of life of the  province united and passionate -- something rarely seen in Pakistan politics.

And, Gladiators also didn't disappoint them. Bismillah Kahn is the only player in the Gladiators side from Quetta and he authenticates  " In Quetta people are overawed with the PSL. I have never been involved in something like this in my career so it’s pretty big for both me and the guys back home.” A Pashtun from Quetta, when he smashed Lahore Qalandars to all parts with 55 from 30 balls in his first PSL match, Quetta was given a legitimate hero of its own. However,  he reveals “There’s a lot of talent in Quetta right now, we need to just pull the talent up". "The perception of Quetta will change thanks to the PSL. A lot of players back home have said ‘man, you’ve opened the door for us’. It means we will all practice even harder than before to be involved in the PSL,” he said.

The impacts of Quetta Gladiators in Baluchistan' overall sporting activities, coupled with ongoing successful "Operation Zarb e Azb" by Pakistan Army, convinced Nawab Sanaullah Zehri to continue with further game events in order to consolidate the law and order conditions in the region. In June 2016, a Day Night Cricket Championship was therefore staged at Nawab Bugti Stadium, Quetta in which he pledged to "provide a peaceful and literate Baluchistan to people." The team of Quetta Gladiators was present in the ceremony to support and involve in sports activities of Baluchistan. The Chief Minister there announced land for cricket academy of Quetta Gladiators and wished “I hope more players from Quetta play for Quetta Gladiators ahead in the upcoming PSLs and this day and night tournament is a great step for forwarding cricket in Quetta.”

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) acknowledged the role of Quetta Gladiators for bringing peace and enthusiasm in the much-affected province of the country, as chairman Shaharyar Khan disclosed that they were considering to invite Afghanistan to play in Quetta, capital of Baluchistan, in the wake of improved law and order situation in the provincial capital. But terror incidents in other provinces forced him to drop the idea last month.

Yet for Nadeem Umar, the owner of Quetta Gladiators, his team has potential to turn around the destiny of Baluchistan when he points out " we had bought the largest team in terms of area and hearts as well."

 By  M. Wasim

mwasim.370@gmail.com

Quetta Gladiators, curbing terrorism in Baluchistan

Amongst all the four chief ministers of Pakistan, only Baluchistan' Nawab Sanaullah Zehri was present in the UAE to attend the Pakistan Super League and support his provincial team the Quetta Gladiators. Pakistan is unable to hold sports events at home because of deteriorating law and order situation across the country and international teams and athletes reluctance to travel here, therefore the first edition of the League, constituted on five teams representing four provinces and the capital, was also staged in Emirates.

at convinced Nawab Sanaullah Zehri to attend the event in UAE and extend his politico--cultural support to the Quetta Gladiators is his honest conviction about the importance of sports for peace and development when he expresses "through promotion of sports the menace of use of drugs and terrorism would be frustrated."

Baluchistan is the Pakistan's largest and poorest province which borders Iran and Afghanistan on the west. Due to which it has unfortunately been affected by sectarian strife and Islamist violence, while on the other hand long-run insurgency and militancy had sapped people of life and hope.

                                           

Not only Nawab Sanaullah Zehri graced the inaugural edition of Super League in which Quetta Gladiators, representing the Baluchistan province, was the finalist. He had also announced in the unveiling ceremony of Quetta Gladiators logo at home, to continue to conduct Baluchistan Sports Festival in Quetta in March, 2016.

The festival, held between March 22 and March 29, 2016, was the 3rd annual edition but in 2016 it is marked with historic public attraction and participation. Inspired by the success of Quetta Gladiators in Super League, some 2,700 players came up to participate in 29 various sports disciplines. This affection for sports events in terms of spectators attendance and players participation was missing in Baluchistan and people fear to arrive in stadiums ever since 2011 when on July 29, two killed and thirty persons injured in a dreadful bomb explosion followed by intense firing during the All Pakistan Football Tournament, held in Mastung.

                                  

Though the concluding ceremony of the week-long Baluchistan Sports Festival 2016 was regrettably cancelled in the wake of tragic terror incident of Lahore, yet the sporting event has been marked as a success for peace and development. Not only it brought much-needed positive activity and normalcy in the province but distraction from the troubles of the region compelled armed rebels to surrender their arms before Pakistan Army. Dozens of various militant groups have given up their arms in the last 12 months so far. The militants who surrendered were from groups such as notably Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Baloch National Movement (BNM), and Lashkar-e-Balochistan (Army of Baluchistan).

It is remembered that in the unveiling ceremony of Quetta Gladiators Chief Minister Baluchistan Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had pointed out that "the people of Baluchistan have the spirit of fighting to the core and (therefore) the Quetta Gladiators would hopefully bring the PSL Cup to Baluchistan." On that occasion, presence of the opposition members testifies the unanimous solidarity for Quetta Gladiators and the fact that this cricket team has made the people from all walk of life of the  province united and passionate -- something rarely seen in Pakistan politics.

And, Gladiators also didn't disappoint them. Bismillah Kahn is the only player in the Gladiators side from Quetta and he authenticates  " In Quetta people are overawed with the PSL. I have never been involved in something like this in my career so it’s pretty big for both me and the guys back home.” A Pashtun from Quetta, when he smashed Lahore Qalandars to all parts with 55 from 30 balls in his first PSL match, Quetta was given a legitimate hero of its own. However,  he reveals “There’s a lot of talent in Quetta right now, we need to just pull the talent up". "The perception of Quetta will change thanks to the PSL. A lot of players back home have said ‘man, you’ve opened the door for us’. It means we will all practice even harder than before to be involved in the PSL,” he said.

The impacts of Quetta Gladiators in Baluchistan' overall sporting activities, coupled with ongoing successful "Operation Zarb e Azb" by Pakistan Army, convinced Nawab Sanaullah Zehri to continue with further game events in order to consolidate the law and order conditions in the region. In June 2016, a Day Night Cricket Championship was therefore staged at Nawab Bugti Stadium, Quetta in which he pledged to "provide a peaceful and literate Baluchistan to people." The team of Quetta Gladiators was present in the ceremony to support and involve in sports activities of Baluchistan. The Chief Minister there announced land for cricket academy of Quetta Gladiators and wished “I hope more players from Quetta play for Quetta Gladiators ahead in the upcoming PSLs and this day and night tournament is a great step for forwarding cricket in Quetta.”

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) acknowledged the role of Quetta Gladiators for bringing peace and enthusiasm in the much-affected province of the country, as chairman Shaharyar Khan disclosed that they were considering to invite Afghanistan to play in Quetta, capital of Baluchistan, in the wake of improved law and order situation in the provincial capital. But terror incidents in other provinces forced him to drop the idea last month.

Yet for Nadeem Umar, the owner of Quetta Gladiators, his team has potential to turn around the destiny of Baluchistan when he points out " we had bought the largest team in terms of area and hearts as well."

 By  M. Wasim

mwasim.370@gmail.com

Bangladesh, the next Cricketing Pariah

“Pakistan is not a safe place for an international sports event. No other international teams are travelling to Pakistan. Why should Bangladesh go? These words were used in petition filed in Bangladesh high court that ultimately led Bangladesh Cricket team to call off a scheduled tour to Pakistan for a limited overs bilateral series in April 2012. Then Bangladesh Cricket Board didn't even think that they could also face similar situation at home when foreign cricket teams would refused to travel their country citing security concerns.

In October 2015, Cricket Australia had scrapped a scheduled tour of their team to Bangladesh after attacks on westerners besides their under-19 team also did not play at a World Cup in the country a few months later for security fears. And, now the recent terrorist attack by ISIS in Dhaka at the midnight of 1st July 2016 that left 20 dead in a popular westerners cafe is compelling the England cricket team to cancel a Test series in Bangladesh, scheduled in October 2016. 

The England and Wales Cricket Board has issued a statement that it will "take appropriate steps" and called the tour off if security for the team is not guaranteed or the British government warns them it is not safe to travel.

Reacting to this development Director of Bangladesh Cricket Board Sheikh Sohail states “It’s very disappointing. What happened is a very bad news for the entire nation. Never before did we witness something like this in our country. It’s a shocker for not only cricket, but every sector of the country. I don’t know what will happen in our cricket. This is a sensitive issue, and if something like this continues to happen, we will become abandoned by other cricket-playing nations."

                                    

Pakistan has not hosted international cricket since the Sri Lanka team were attacked by terrorists in 2006 and, if Bangladesh goes the same way, it will shrink an already small cricketing world further.

All of the world sports bodies need to realize that terrorism is a global phenomenon as it is not limited to one or two states. Neither terror politics is limited to political or social platforms only. As a matter of fact, sports and other cultural events like music concerts and festivals, offer terrorists much bigger platforms to flex their muscles and earn maximum notoriety.  

Over the English team security concerns, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Nazmul Hassan now has similar views “There is no safe country in the current world. Terrorism is happening everywhere. You never know, in the next three months, England could also face a similar kind of situation. No one can be certain about it. What we can do is to increase the security level. If that’s done, there is no reason to call off the series."

   

By  M. Wasim

mwasim.370@gmail.com

Sports honours EDHI

On June 8, 2014 ten suicide militants armed with automatic weapons, a rocket launcher, suicide vests, and grenades, attack Jinnah International Airport Karachi. The Rangers and Army personnel responds through a sweeping operations at airport, and after six hours operation the Airport has been cleared. 36 people have been killed, including all 10 attackers, and 18 others are wounded.

That is the time when Edhi management with its ambulances and social workers, reaches at the tragic scene of Airport, where the Edhi workers after providing free services—like cleaning of bodies, exclusive bathing, as well as shrouding to 12 coffins, and are shifted to their native places, whereas 10 unknown coffins shifted to the Edhi morgue, at Sohrab Goth Karachi, and 30 injured were immediately shifted to Jinnah Hospital Karachi for speedy treatment. In this operation, 30 ambulances, 60 rescue workers of Edhi, participate to assist the security forces and government functionaries, as well as the affected people at the Karachi airport. 

This is not the only occasion when Edhi Foundation comes to counter the menace of terrorism with its rescue and rehab services. The Foundation -- led by Abdul Sattar Edhi since 1957 --- has always timely responded in needs. Its minivan ambulances are a common sight across Pakistan, particularly in the aftermath of all-too-frequent terrorist bombings. Specially after 9/11 when the pace of tragic and terror-related incidents picked acceleration, defying all odds it has been a source of great relief for a nation, ruined and still haunted by militancy and terrorism. 

With this contextual background when Pakistan national cricket team will start their Test campaign against England at Lords on July 14, 2014, it will be a great honour that they wear EDHI logo on their kit. This also will be the first time in Pakistan cricket team’s history that players from any sport discipline would wear logos of a charitable organisation on their official kit. 

The name of (Abdul Sattar) Edhi, who is facing serious illness these days, is synonymous to peace and mankind and having logo of Edhi on national cricket team kits, is just a salute to great Edhi from Pakistan sports circle.  

By  M. Wasim

mwasim.370@gmail.com