Karachi, May 10: :International organisations and human rights watchdogs might feel that religious minorities in Pakistan are discriminated against, but sportsmen belonging to minority communities believe otherwise.

Pakistan has produced some notable achievers in the field of sports from the minority communities, who believe that if one has talent and is willing to work really hard, no one can stop him from reaching the pinnacle of his chosen sport.

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan said there was nothing stopping people from religious minorities in Pakistan from achieving their goals in sports except for their own lack of self confidence or support from their families.

"The fact is I am first a Pakistani than a Hindu. I have never had any problem in the Pakistan team as a Hindu. Everybody has been supportive of me. And even when Inzamam bhai introduced a religious culture in the team, I was never taunted nor did anyone pressurise me or discourage me from fulfilling my religious obligations as a Hindu," Kaneria said.

He also insisted that Mohammad Yousuf the other big name in modern Pakistan cricket to come from a religious minority had also taken a decision to convert to Islam on his own will.

"I don't think anyone forced him to convert. I am also a Hindu and from a minority community. But no one ever talked to me about converting. Yousuf bhai was inspired himself and it was his decision to become a Muslim."

"I keep on telling some talented cricketers from our community if you work hard and keep on trying nothing is impossible. I am sure in next few years we will see more players from Hindu community representing Pakistan teams," Kaneria said.

Parsi entrepreneur Byram Avari, who won a sailing gold medal in the Asian Games, believes that in sports religion does not matter. "Be it Pakistan or India, the truth is if you play your chosen game right you will come out right. It is 98 per cent perspiration and 2 per cent inspiration," Avari said.

He also said that prominent sportsmen from religious minorities were few in Pakistan because while the population had increased rapidly in the country, the percentage of minorities had decreased in Pakistan.

"It is fact that religious minorities don't get the special allowances or treatment like they get in other parts of the world like Canada or Australia, but I wouldn't say they are discriminated against in Pakistan sports," he said.

He said in the past Parsis had achieved notable success in cricket, billiards, swimming and produced big names but since the '90s with the religious zealots gaining strength their numbers had decreased in Pakistan with many preferring to immigrate to other countries.

"But the truth is I am a second rate citizen anywhere else in the world. I am only first rate in Pakistan. When I won the gold medal in 1986 I felt proud as a Pakistani not as a Parsi," Avari said.

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