Pakistan is one of those countries where sports psychology is none existence but Dr. Ejaz Mughal, who has specialized in the field sees a very bright future in it. In an interview, he said being the first sport psychologist of Pakistan he wants to raise the sports research center in the country.
At the age of 40, Dr. Ejaz Asghar Mughal became the first Pakistani to get PhD in Sport Psychology and was also the youngest PhD Doctor in the field of Sport Psychology. Now working at the G.C University Lahore as a faculty member, and he is very enthusiastic about his subject and wants to improve Sport Psychology area at National level.
He pointed out that Sports Psychology is an area of study which is concern with the behavior of sportsman.
“It’s a compulsory part of athletes training in Europe, normally they worked 60% on psychological skills and coping strategies to improve the performance without the help of all four domains psychological, physical, physiological and sociological. “In Pakistan no one has worked on this area yet, which is the main cause of decline in performance of athletes,” he maintained.
“The future is very bright because without the help of psychological area we can’t enhance the performance of athlete. It’s an integral part of an athlete training. Unless we will start psychological skill training from initiation stage will not be able to produce performance athlete those able to cope with situation related problem.” “The sports trainers are unaware of the benefits. Maybe they don’t know about my presence in Pakistan,” he added.
“That was why I plan to raise the research center to analyze the performance of athlete and to work at the talent development stage in grooming the athletes through psychological skill.
“With the help of GCU Vice Chancellor, I plan to develop a department of sports sciences and physical education, MS / M. Phil, BS Hons 4 year program and Diploma in Sports Physiology.
“In 2007, I applied for the Diploma in Sport Psychology at University of Leipzig Germany and during the stay there I got opportunity to present a proposal to start PhD in the field. “And now they are, despite reservations about Pakistanis, up to help us promote the area of sport sciences in Pakistan, in this regards we are in a process to sign MOU between the University of Leipzig and G.C. University Lahore,” he concluded.