Daikundi girls fight odds to learn various sports

NELLI (Pajhwok): Despite limited resources as compared to other provinces, girls in central Daikundi province are increasingly taking interest in different sports.

Some girls in Daikundi despite strong opposition from their families are engaged in different sport trainings in a comparatively small and under-resourced gymnasium.

These sportswomen say wrong customs, beliefs and strictness on the part of their families are main hurdles they face in joining sports in Daikundi.

They say they face many problems while going out of home for learning sports, but in the past few years girls have been learning different sports by defying wrong culture and restrictions of their families.

Atifa, one of these sports girls, said she was interested in sports since childhood but her father did not allow her to come out of home for that.

“Recently I satisfied my father that sports is good for girls and from the past eight months I have been getting sport training,” she said.

Fatema Elham, another girl, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Due to wrong cultural restrictions in our society.”

“Despite lack of facilities, we will strive for success and completion of our dreams,” she said.

Hawa Rezae, a trainer of these girls, said she faced multiple problems and hurdles in opening of the sports club, but the interest of girls and support from some families encouraged her to continue her mission.

“Initially girls shied away from learning sports and showed little interest, but in recent years, girls’ interest in sports has increased and due to lack of facilities and space, we cannot absorb more women,” she said.

Khan Ali Ghulami, head of Daikunndi sports department, acknowledged problems and difficulties being faced by girls in sports area and added the required funds for promotion of women sport were not available. He pledged to promote girls sports if more funds were provided.

Gul Ahmad, father of one of the sport girls, said: “In the beginning, I was against the girls’ involvement in sport and believed that girls are nothing to do with sport. I held traditional views regarding girls sport and believed that girls should not play sport because they may suffer hemorrhage.”

He added his mindset changed after some girls in Daikundi earned titles in different sport events and brought the pride like boys and allowed his daughter to go and play sport.

Mohammad Hashim Alizada, another father who supported the girls sport, said: “I proud of my daughter because she got first position in all the events inside and outside the province.”

Khan Ali Muwahidi, one of the religious scholar believed girls sport was not in clash with the teachings of Islam.

“Sport is a positive thing irrespective of who is playing man or woman. They should play according to the Islamic rules and should observe the Hijab,” he said.

Zahra Rastakar, a civil society activist, said some facilities were available for sport girls in the provincial capital, but in district girls don’t have the right to play sport.

She said government has not paid attention to the issue and there were nee immediate steps in this regard.

nh/ma

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