NOWSHERA
\nOnce echoing with cheers and the rhythmic chants of \u201cKabaddi, Kabaddi,\u201d the dusty grounds of Pabbi tehsil here now lie deserted due to addiction of social media.
\nVolleyball nets hang loosely, Kabaddi arenas are silent, and a legacy of local sportsmanship fades slowly into the digital abyss at Aman Kot, Korvi and Pabbi\u2014the hub of traditional sports. The issue is a growing obsession with the internet and social media platforms that\u2019s reshaping the lives and pastimes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa\u2019s youth.
\nRenowned for its fierce athletic traditions and home to Squash legends like Jahangir Khan, Jan Sher Khan, Qamarzaman, Olympians in Hokey Rahim Khan, Qazi Mohib, Cricketstar Umargul, Yasir Hameed and Wajahat Wasti, Shabir Ahmad at Volleyball, KP veteran sportsmen are seeing disappointment after its rich culture of traditional sports are slowly being eroded due to social media addiction in youth.
\nOnce a bedrock of community interaction and physical vitality, traditional games such as squash, volleyball, hockey and kabaddi are now being overshadowed by TikTok trends and YouTube shorts.
\nShabir Ahmed and Ehsanullah, former national players in volleyball and kabaddi respectively, recall the golden days when every weekend was a mini-festival of sports. \u201cIn the late \u201890s, hundreds would gather here to cheer us on,\u201d Shabir reminisced. \u201cThe spirit was contagious. It\u2019s heartbreaking to see these grounds so empty now.\u201d
\nTheir hometown, Amankot, was once a hub for local tournaments, attracting players from Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, Peshawar and surrounding villages amid cheers and applauds. Enthusiastic crowds, rhythmic drumbeats, and fierce but friendly competition marked these gatherings. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have smartphones and Wify, but we had community and passion for sports,\u201d Ehsanullah added.
\nBefore the digital boom post 2000, local tournaments were anticipated events that transcended class and caste, binding communities together. Today, however, mobile phones and social media apps have taken over these traditional gathering spaces.
\nPakistan had crossed a significant digital milestone earlier this year, with over 111 million internet users and nearly 72 million active on social media platforms. Facebook leads with 44.5 million users, while TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat combined pull tens of millions into a virtual world\u2014far from the physical playgrounds of yesteryear.
\n\u201cThis new digital culture has created a generation more comfortable behind mobile screens than under the sun at sports grounds meaning by diminishing of traditional sports in KP,\u201d said squash legend Qamar Zaman, lamenting the drop in attendance at his squash academy. \u201cWe had Roshan Khan, Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan. But how can we discover the next champion if no one is playing?\u201d
\nThe decline is further compounded by inadequate sports infrastructure and budgetary cuts. Even the historic Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, undergoing renovation since 2017, remains incomplete, denying athletes a world-class facility in Peshawar.
\nDespite the grim outlook, government officials say all is not lost. Fakhar Jehan, Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs, stated that new initiatives are being introduced under a revitalized sports policy. \u201cSchools are now required to dedicate one day per week to sports. We\u2019re also near completion on the Arbab Niaz stadium soon and upgrading other facilities there,\u201d he said.
\nHe affirmed the government\u2019s commitment to fostering a sporting culture, saying, \u201cPhysical activity is vital for a healthy society. We must protect our heritage while embracing modernity.\u201d
\nAs Pakistan basks in the international glory of athletes like Arshad Nadeem, whose Olympic gold in javelin has become a symbol of national pride, former athletes like Shabir, Qamar, Umargul and Ehsan emphasized the need for grassroots investment.
\n\u201cDigital platforms can\u2019t replace the life lessons learned on the field,\u201d he warned. \u201cIf we don\u2019t act now, we risk losing more than just games; rather we\u2019ll lose generations of talent.\u201d
\nKP\u2019s traditional sports may be down, but with focused policy, community support, and balanced digital engagement, there\u2019s hope that these games will echo again in villages and towns not just in memories, but on the playing fields where they belong. The experts urged the KP Govt to increase the quota of sports in professional colleges besides award of stipends to restore KP\u2019s sports glory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NOWSHERA Once echoing with cheers and the rhythmic chants of \u201cKabaddi, Kabaddi,\u201d the dusty grounds of Pabbi tehsil here now lie deserted due to addiction of social media. Volleyball nets hang loosely, Kabaddi arenas are silent, and a legacy of local sportsmanship fades slowly into the digital abyss at Aman Kot, Korvi and Pabbi\u2014the hub […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":480086,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-480072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n