By Staff Reporter
Pakistan’s sprinting prodigy Sahib-e-Asra, who has three international medals to her credit, is unlikely to outrun her financial troubles, but she remains in hot pursuit of her Olympic dream.
“It is the lack of financial support from the government that’s slowing me down and crippling my performance,” Pakistan’s fastest female sprinter told Independent Pakistan (IP).
Asra, who dreams of bringing Olympic gold home someday, has been on her own with some meagre funding from Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP).
“My target is to qualify for the Olympic games and hoist Pakistan’s colours there for the whole world to see,” the Faisalabadi sprinter said.
She specialises in 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400 meter sprint events.
To a question, she said being the daughter of an Imam Masjid, (the prayer leader at a mosque) it was not a walkover for her to become an international athlete.
“What I have accomplished is not only an impossible dream come true for a girl from a modest background but also a big blow to the stereotypes like the daughter of a cleric cannot become an athlete.”
“Without my father, I could never have reached this far, no matter how fast I had run,” the future star athlete said with an unfeigned emotion.
Asra said it’s a great honour for her to become an international athlete as the daughter of an Imam Masjid, which was extraordinarily rare.
“In our society it is very difficult for girls to easily play professional team sports let alone becoming a track or field athlete, who cannot easily perform in full length trousers or tights,” she said.
“I am thankful to my father who ran with me throughout my career in his own supportive way and also to my family who never got tired of facing social pressures because of my being an international athlete.”
Asra, who is definitely not a flash in the pan, said she found her spark for athletics after winning the school championship at the age of 9.
“After that I went on to win four gold medals at inter school competitions.”
In her first national-level athletics championship in 2013 she clinched seven golds, Asra said adding that from 2014 to 2018 she left no gold untaken in all the national championships.
In 2017, she walked away with the title of the fastest women in Pakistan in an event in Karachi, setting a national record. She remains the youngest female athlete to have ever won that title. A record that remains unbeaten even today.
“My first international event was the South Asian Games where I got silver and bronze medals and again in 2019 South Asian Games I won bronze so I have three international medals.”
Since 2019 there have hardly been any intentional events because of Covid-19, Asra said.
She said the government should support their athletes so that they could give their 100 percent to their training.
“Despite being a champion and winner of three international gold medals, the government never bothered to help ease the financial burdens I am under with even a single penny.”
Pakistan Sports Board doled out some cash to her in the form of prizes, but it was peanuts.
“We the government to support us financially and treat athletics like cricket or other major sports.”
Asra said people were usually shocked to learn that an Imam Masjid’s daughter was an athlete, mostly because of their ignorance, narrow-mindedness, conformism, and their crooked moral codes.
People used to be like: “This is a sign of the times. It’s a shame that being a maulavi sahib’s daughter you are brazenly running around without a dupatta exposing yourself to the ogling men. Where’s your chastity?”
“It was so upsetting that I even thought of quitting, but my father never let me give up on my dreams. I am super proud of my father for untiringly fighting his endless personal battles against a judgmental society. I would still be another ordinary girl doing embroidery at home had it not been for him.”
Asra said Pakistan Athletics Federation was trying its best to support the athletes but due to the lack of the funds they were unable to do so.
“The government must hold the federation’s hand and raise its funding as athletics is an expensive sport. Athletes need training from abroad, good diet, quality gear, and sustainable sources of income to focus on their game,” she said.
The sprinting sensation, who plays for Wapda, said if the government was too broke to help athletes in cash then it should do it in kind by arranging multinational companies’ sponsorship for the sportspersons.
“The government in partnership with the private sector can lift the neglected games in the country,” Asra said and added, “I am requesting the Shehbaz Sharif administration to take an initiative without wasting time”.
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