Muhammad Riaz: Shock as footballer seen selling ‘jalebis’

HANGU: Muhammad Riaz, a former footballer who represented Pakistan in the 2018 Asian Games, is now selling ‘jalebis’ to survive on the streets of Hangu.

The 29-year-old athlete shared his struggles in a tearful video that has gone viral on social media. The footballer expressed frustration over the lack of support for athletes in Pakistan. He also criticised the government for failing to fulfil promises regarding the revival of departmental sports.

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Riaz’s situation highlights the challenges faced by many sportspeople in Pakistan. Despite assurances from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about restoring departmental sports, Muhammad Riaz and others remain without stable income. He has had to resort to street vending to survive.

The footballer with an extremely promising career claims his criticism of the previous government for banning departmental sports reportedly harmed the country’s sports infrastructure and his own future.

“For years, I waited for the promised revival of departmental sports”, he said. “But with no income, I had no choice but to cook jalebis on a street corner to feed my family”.

Muhammad Riaz was left jobless when K-Electric disbanded it football operations. The dissolution of departmental football left many talented players struggling to survive.

As a footballer, Muhammad Riaz played for K-Electric from July 1, 2015. He also represented Pakistan at various levels, including the Under-23 team in January 2014.

In terms of international performance, Riaz has one cap for the senior national team, with no goals scored. His appearances include matches against Cambodia, India and Bhutan. He also participated in the 2018 Asian Games.

Riaz’s experience includes participation in various tournaments such as the South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAC) and the Asian Games (ASG).

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His match history includes games against teams like Cambodia, where he played in the 2019 Asian World Cup qualifiers, and other regional competitions.