Brisbane-based cyclist Ismail Saeed was one of the 71 national and international cyclists from all over the world to have raced in the Tour de Khunjerab tournament last month. Cyclists, including those from America, Switzerland, and Afghanistan, participated in the three-day race that culminated at an altitude of 15,300 feet.
In an exclusive talk with SBS Urdu, Saeed said that he would have never been able to pursue his dream of becoming a cyclist if it was not for that one-year break that he took from his studies and moved back to Pakistan, where he lived in the country's capital - Islamabad. After playing for various government clubs, he moved back to Australia at the age of 19 years, where he started representing the colors of the University of Queensland at local and national level races. Since then, there has been no looking back.
He also expressed his delight on the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government's priority to sports, especially the inclusion of more girls’ teams. This north-western province of Pakistan is one of the most conservative regions of the country, where public necessities such as health, school/college education, and sports, among others, have suffered due to the previous governments’ neglect. Saeed said he witnessed a great change and progress in terms of sports compared to his last trip to the area a few years ago.
“While we were gearing up for the Tour de Khunjerab, the government also held the National Cycling Championship in Peshawar just a week before that. Simultaneously, the National Youth Games were also being held at the Peshawar Sports Complex. Girls were part of both the events, and it was very refreshing to see that and a proud moment for every progressive Pakistani.”
Talking about the Australian government's initiatives for the sport, Saeed said despite limited funding for the cycling sport in the country, Australia has the latest infrastructure and clubs in almost every city. Talented young sportspeople, playing for clubs, can also avail scholarships that are offered at university levels, he said. Saeed hopes for more young people to be trained in both the countries, and be given an opportunity to live their dreams.
“If you’ve got the passion and you are lucky to get an opportunity to polish your talent, you must never let it go out of your hands just because someone tells you it is hard.”
Meanwhile, Saeed will continue to travel back-and-forth between Pakistan and Australia, and across the lengths and breadths of each country, to participate in local and national level racing tournaments.
