Pakistan Special Olympics Coach Goes Missing in Berlin; Concerns Raised Over Human Trafficking in Sports

Pakistan Special Olympics Coach Goes Missing in Berlin; Concerns Raised Over Human Trafficking in Sports

Musarrat Ullah Jan

In a concerning development, the coach of the Pakistan Special Olympics team has disappeared in Berlin, Germany. This critical news comes to light amid increasing worries over human trafficking in the world of sports.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, athletes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also participating in the Special Olympics. The missing coach was associated with cricket and had a long-standing connection with an organization dedicated to special players.

Sources have confirmed that the cricket coach was granted a 14-day visa, and his passport was under the custody of the organization responsible for taking the players to the Special Olympics. However, during the competition, the coach left his passport behind and vanished in Berlin, leaving authorities and the organization perplexed.
The organization, based in Karachi and responsible for Special Olympics, has raised concerns due to its silence on the matter. Despite multiple attempts to contact them via email on July 2 and July 4, there has been no response or clarification provided.

Furthermore, attempts were made to gather information from a former hockey player associated with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the same organization. Initially, he assured to provide information and a list related to the missing coach, but later he retracted and suggested contacting a journalist from Karachi.

Despite contacting the journalist on July 11, no information has been disclosed, leaving the fate of the missing cricket coach uncertain. This worrying situation highlights the increasing speed of human trafficking through various sports competitions, exploiting the country’s conditions.

This incident also brings to mind the recent case of martial arts players from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa disappearing after obtaining a visa to a European country, resulting in authorities losing valuable resources.
Similarly, human trafficking continues to plague the squash game, and now it seems to have found its way into the special games as well. The safety and security of athletes and coaches in the sports community must be prioritized, and swift action should be taken to address these alarming issues.