PM says a champion’s life is all about ‘struggle & to never get demoralized’

Imran Khan Cricket Sri Lanka
PM Imran Khan speaks at an event hosted to honour his cricketing legacy by Sri Lankan State Minister of Youth and Sports. Photo courtesy Twitter Anas Mallick

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Feb 24 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said his success in cricket world and in political life was all about ‘continuous struggle and learning from setbacks’.

“In my life, the sport has taught me how to take the knocks and never get demoralized by defeats, whether in cricket ground or politics,” the Prime Minister said at a sportsmen-studded event in the Sri Lankan capital.

The special event was held to pay tribute to the cricketing legacy of Imran Khan, which was hosted by Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa and Speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywerdena and attended by former Sri Lankan cricketers.

The Prime Minister said success meant dealing not only with good, but also the bad times with resilience.

“Sport teaches about a life of struggle and achievement besides giving courage to fight the odds,” he said.

In politics as well, he said, there could be “good and bad times”, however, “big dreams lead towards accomplishment”.

He recalled that he was dropped in his first test cricket match and also in politics, his stance did not gain attention for 14 years.

“You cannot win unless you believe in yourself. Picking yourself up is the only way,” he said.

Imran Khan lauded the professionalism of Sri Lanka cricket team that performed brilliant in several matches and also fondly recalled his visit to Sri Lanka as a fresh university graduate and as a young player in the sports of cricket.

He suggested that besides cooperation between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the field of cricket, other sports including squash and hockey could also offer immense potential.

The Prime Minister was presented by Minister Namal Rajapaksa a proposed project of a high performance sports complex, to be named after Imran Khan.
 A documentary on Prime Minister’s cricketing career was showcased including a tribute by his fellow Sri Lankan cricketers.
The Youth & Sports Minister of Sri Lanka presented a memento to the Prime Minister, who in turn presented him a cricket bat with his signatures.
Later, Prime Minister Imran Khan attended the lunch hosted in his honour by Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament and Youth & Sports Minister.

By Shumaila Andleeb

Shumaila Andleeb; Senior Reporter at Associated Press of Pakistan; covering the beats of President, Prime Minister, Foreign Office, and Special Assignments.

APP Services