Contacting World through Internet

In Conversation with Murtaza Khan Zulfee

Since carrom is a less popular sport, there was very less secondary information available. So, we approached Mr Murtaza Khan Zulfee, who is secretary general at Pakistan Carrom Federation. Thanks to advanced communication media, we were able to talk to him even being in different cities. He not only instantly replied us but also showed tremendous support and guidance regarding the barriers of unknown information about Carrom.

According to him, "Carrom is a character building game." He also shared his opinion on a very fragile situation that is currently being faced by carrom in Pakistan. He says, " Carrom ek aisi game ha jis ko hum ne apne gharon se nikal kar nafraton ko janam dia ha."(Carrom is a friendly game and a source of bringing families together but it has now become a bone of contention within and among families.)

His passion and devotion for carrom can be seen in the interview below;

Q:To what extent do you think carrom has potential to grow in Pakistan?

A:When it comes to Carrom, the potential is quite promising. Carrom has been a family game in Pakistan almost since the inception of the country. However, there has been no professional focus until 2004. After almost a decade of hard work we have just scratched the surface of the real talent available in Pakistan.

Q:What are you doing to promote carrom in Pakistan?

A:Pakistan Carrom Federation has been organising tournaments in Karachi and Quetta and encourages Carrom lovers across the country to bring their talent onto the international bandwagon. We have had great success in school and college level tournaments as well.

Q:How can we youngsters help in promoting the game?

A:They can play their role by adopting the game. There is a common misconception that Carrom is an old people's game. Which is absolutely wrong as in the international arena, there are players as young as 14 years old. However, Pakistani youth is yet to take it up as their own game.

Q:What do you think is the biggest advantage to Pakistan of promoting carrom? A:Beside the fact that carrom is a game of discipline and integrity and promotion of the game subsequently means promoting these values, It also gives us a avenue to bring Pakistan in international circles.

Q:What qualities should be there to make a good team for carrom?

A:Discipline, Punctuality and Integrity makes a good player and in turn a good team.

Q:What are you doing to make our team more competitive?

A:Pakistan Carrom Federation organises two yearly tournaments and various practice tournaments for Pakistan Carrom Team. This is a game of practice and precision so tough practice and practice matches are the only way to make our team more competitive.

Q:Who is the coach of Carrom players in Pakistan?

A:Veteran national players Iftikharuddin and Muhammad Amil are currently serving as Coaches.

Q:Why Pakistan is not having carrom women's team?

A:There are a number of reasons;

1. The game isn't popular enough as a profession in Pakistan which is why it is mostly taken as a recreational activity. This leads to low standard of players in the camp.

2. The players who end up in the team cannot commit to the game to maintain the standard.

3. If they somehow manage to stay positive, lack of practicing avenues and good competition on National level leads to de-motivation and players leave the game.

Q:In Pakistan, what rewards are carrom players being given?

A:As of now, the reward Pakistani players receive is the honor to represent Pakistan in International Arena. However, if the game is supported properly on government level like India and Bangladesh, we are sure we can produce great results and players will receive proper recognition on all levels including academic seats, sports quota jobs etc.

Q:Is there any international competition our team is going to participate in near future?

A:PCF will be participating in World Carrom Cup hosted by Korea in 2018.

Q:Will Pakistan ever get the chance to host International Carrom Cup?

A:Pakistan Carrom Federation hosted a bi-nation Carrom test series between Pakistan and Czech Republic in 2013. However, the situation hasn't been very good since then. However, with the current developments we do hope to host more international events in Pakistan.

Q:What is the government doing for Pakistan carrom federation? Are you satisfied with the support and funds?

A:Pakistan Carrom Federation approached the Government channels for registration. However, after years, the matter is still pending. As of now, PCF receive no government support where on the other hand, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka support this game on national level which is why they are the leading teams in International arena for decades. India is dominating the carrom arena because they have adopted Carrom as a proper game, on both academic level and professional level.

Q:To what extent do you think carrom has potential to grow in Pakistan?

A:When it comes to Carrom, the potential is quite promising. Carrom has been a family game in Pakistan almost since the inception of the country. However, there has been no professional focus until 2004. After almost a decade of hard work we have just scratched the surface of the real talent available in Pakistan.

In order to make our work official, we contacted PCF (Pakistan Carrom Federation) to get a formal permission regarding using the information provided by them for our own purpose. The following is their response: