KARACHI: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi, Monem Zafar on Wednesday announced that the “Karachi Olympics” will be organized across the city from January 21 to February 1, 2026 under the banner of Jamaat-e-Islami. He made this announcement while addressing at a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters. Monem Zafar said the games, themed “Utho, Aagay Barho Karachi” (Rise and Move Forward, Karachi), aim to encourage youth participation, discover hidden talent, and project a positive image of the city. He described the Karachi Olympics as a milestone initiative for empowering young people and promoting healthy and constructive activities. He said registration for the event will be open from January 8 to 16. Interested participants can register in person at Idara Noor-e-Haq between 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm, while online registration will be available round the clock. The Karachi Olympics will feature competitions in 16 sports disciplines, including hockey, cricket, football, city marathon, boxing, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, tug of war, dodging ball, cycling, martial arts, throwball, rope skipping, and archery. According to the JI leader, competitions will be held at union council, town, and district levels, while the closing ceremony is scheduled for February 1. Monem Zafar said Karachi has a large youth population, but the state has failed to take effective steps to promote youth development, polish their skills, and involve them in positive activities, despite this being a basic responsibility of the government. He stressed that sectors such as sports, IT, education, and skills development require serious state support to enable young people to become dignified and productive citizens. Referring to an official report of the Sindh Sports and Culture Department, he said Karachi has 238 playgrounds, but most of them have been damaged or lost due to encroachments, commercialization, and government negligence. He added that Jamaat-e-Islami challenged the issue in court, which clearly ruled that commercial activities should not be allowed in parks and playgrounds as these are public spaces. Monem Zafar Khan said Karachi was once a hub of education, culture, literature, and sports, but over the last 35 to 40 years, the city has been deliberately stripped of its identity. He said youth were pushed away from education, moral values, and healthy activities, while playgrounds and parks were handed over to commercial interests. As a result, only those who can afford fees are able to play, while grounds remain closed to others. Citing examples of the Netherlands and Australia, he said that despite smaller populations, these countries have won dozens of Olympic gold medals. In contrast, Pakistan won an Olympic gold medal after 32 years through Arshad Nadeem, which shows that talent exists in the country but lacks proper patronage. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026