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Pakistan is emerging as one of the most promising new markets in the global phygital movement – thanks to the efforts of the WPC member, Phygital Pakistan.
Led by Abdul Majeed and his team, Phygital Pakistan has focused on building awareness, developing grassroots participation and creating opportunities for athletes to compete in a format that combines physical and digital competition. Through partnerships with schools, colleges, universities and sporting communities, the organization is laying the foundations for long-term growth.
While Pakistan competes on the international stage at Phygital Contenders Astana 2026, Abdul Majeed, Phygital Pakistan’s Director and CEO. discusses the opportunities, challenges and ambitions shaping the country’s phygital journey.
When you first launched your first event, how was phygital sport received in your country, and what opportunities did you see for growing it locally?
When we launched our first phygital event in Pakistan, the response was both exciting and curious. Many young athletes and gamers were immediately interested because the concept combined two things they already loved: competitive gaming and physical sports.
At the same time, it was a completely new idea for most people in the region, so there was also a strong educational aspect involved. We saw huge potential because we have a very young population with growing interest in esports, football and digital entertainment.
We believed phygital sport could become a platform that connects traditional athletes and gamers under one competitive ecosystem while also creating international opportunities for Pakistani talent.
What about the biggest challenges that you have faced?
One of the biggest challenges has been awareness and understanding of the phygital concept. Since it is still a new category in many countries, we had to invest significant effort into explaining the format to athletes, sponsors, media and even sports communities.
What specific initiatives or activities have you introduced to attract new athletes and engage your local community?
We focused heavily on grassroots engagement. We signed agreements with universities, colleges and schools to introduce students and young athletes to phygital sport and create long-term development opportunities.
We also worked closely with athletes, gaming communities, football and basketball academies, and content creators to build awareness and interest among younger audiences.
In addition, we actively participated in basketball and football events by setting up our digital gaming experience alongside the physical competitions. This helped people better understand the concept of combining physical and digital sports in one format.
These activities played an important role in educating communities, attracting new athletes and growing interest in the phygital movement across Pakistan.
Can you share an idea, format, or approach your team has developed that you’re especially proud of?
One approach we are especially proud of is our ability to combine entertainment, youth culture and competitive structure into a single experience.
We designed events that feel energetic and community-driven while still maintaining professional competition standards. We also focused on building a bridge between traditional sports athletes and esports players, encouraging collaboration instead of separation.
Seeing players from completely different backgrounds compete together in one format has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey.
Pakistan has the potential to become one of the leading emerging markets for phygital sport in South Asia.
Looking ahead, what role do you see your country playing in the global development of Games of the Future and the wider phygital movement?
I believe we have the potential to become one of the leading emerging markets for phygital sport. The country has an incredibly passionate youth population, growing esports talent and a deep sports culture.
With the right investment, infrastructure and international collaboration, we can contribute talented athletes, innovative event formats and a strong fan base to the global movement.
Our goal is not only to participate internationally but also to help shape the future of phygital sport in South Asia.
Your teams took part in Phygital Contenders with the opportunity to reach the Games of the Future 2026 in Astana. What does this moment represent for your community and athletes?
This is a historic moment for our community. For many of our athletes, this represents the first opportunity to compete on a global stage under the phygital format.
It validates the hard work, training and belief that our players and organizers have invested throughout the season.
For the wider community in Pakistan, it is proof that our athletes can compete internationally and represent the country proudly in a completely new era of sport. The excitement and motivation around this opportunity are incredibly high.
What message would you like to send to your athletes as they compete on the international stage, and how optimistic are you about the future of phygital sport in your country?
My message to the athletes is simple: believe in yourselves, enjoy the experience and represent yourselves, your families and friends with confidence and pride.
They are not only competing for results but also helping introduce what we are doing here to the international phygital community.
I am very optimistic about the future because the interest continues to grow every month. We are seeing more athletes, organizations, media platforms and fans becoming involved, and I believe this is only the beginning of a much larger movement in the country.
How important have social media and media exposure been in building awareness around phygital sport, and what approach have you taken to attract attention to the movement?
Social media has been extremely important for us because it allows us to directly reach young audiences who are naturally connected to gaming, sports and digital culture.
We focused on creating engaging content, event highlights, athlete stories, behind-the-scenes coverage and educational material explaining the phygital concept.
We also collaborated with influencers, gaming communities and sports personalities to increase visibility.
Media exposure has helped us build credibility and introduce phygital sport to people who had never heard of it before.
