Women Sports in Pakistan Hina Jalil: Women Sports in Pakistan

Women Sports in Pakistan



Pakistan sports board was established in 1962 which was built to promote uniform standards of competition in sports in Pakistan. These were to be compared on the international platform of sports. The other objective was to control Sports on the national level. Pakistan sports board was established under the ministry of Education through the sports ordinance 1962.Over the recent years there has been an increase in the sporting activity in Pakistan. With Pakistani sportsmen, women are participating at many national and international events.



Well the going has never been easy for Pakistani women who play sports but yet they are sweating out and making a lot of efforts. To dissuade a women some negligible budgets, stringent dress codes and few monetary benefits are enough from donning sports gear. Anmaar Habib was the first women skier to represent Pakistan at an international level and she is now training for 2010 winter Olympics. The women hockey qualified to play for Doha Asian Games but were not allowed to play due the reason that they might embarrass the country with poor performance. But their being qualified was the proof that they are fit enough to play. The lack of quotas In school is also a hindrance in women taking up the opportunity. Pakistan women football team has played against Afghanistan and Jordan and are planning to visit Maldives and Norway this year.

Nilofer Bakhtiar the former tourism minister quit after all newspapers splashed pictures of her hugging a male instructor after a parajump in France last year says that women sports has never been a priority in Pakistan. They are always short of funds when women are in focus. The sports budget is so limited that it is mostly consumed for males and nothing is left after wards. That is why women are discouraged and most of them who have talent and want to take a step are stopped after this reality is disclosed. Pakistan's first cricket team was founded in 1997 a full 21 years after India. This early appearance was characterized by heavy losses against Australia where an humiliating record of 27 all out was made. Today restrictions have eased and genuine attempts at expanding the game through school leagues are being made. But there are problems like there is no female player older than 24 years due to the reason they get married and its obvious that the husbands wont allow them to go back in the field. Some education commitments. Now due to this reason if a player is 2 to 3 years in the team and becomes a senior has to leave due to obligations mentioned above.

But now Musharaf's reform agenda of enlightened moderation, authorities have started taking keen interests in activities related to women encouragement in sports. The legendary Imtiaz Ahmed is taken as the chief advisor and selector of women teams. Well in country still fighting for women's rights, a level playing field for Pakistan's women sportsmen remains a distant prospect.



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