November 6, 2004

It is no less than a miracle that two Pakhtun girls from a typical Pakhtun society hailing from a backward and a rigid tribal set-up come into the arena of sports and social work and bring glory to Pakistan on national and international levels.

Maria alias Turpakai, a cute squash celebrity with boyish features, who recently made blazing headlines in the national press for bringing laurels to Pakistan in the SAF and Asian games, was born on November 2, 1990, to Ahmadzai Wazir tribe. She would always play games, go on scuffling with boys and dress like them since her childhood. Being plump, her father wanted her to reduce her weight. Maria Turpakai began weight lifting and took other tough exercises for this purpose. When her weight was reduced considerably, her father, Shamsul Qayyum, a teacher at the Polytechnic Institute on Kohat Road, admitted her to the PAF Squash Academy in Peshawar in 2002 where Wing Commander Pervez Syed Mir Khan assisted and encouraged her a lot. “I did not know about my talent. My father discovered a squash player inside me and I proved my mettle,” said Turpakai.

Interestingly she made her first entry into the arena of sports in the guise of a boy, named Changez Khan, when she was 12 years old in the inter-provincial youth weight-lifting competition held at Lahore and grabbed the first position from the Sports Board, Punjab. Hashim Khan Junior Squash championship under-13 held at Wah Cantt was her first career jump point.

“My real test started when the 7th Hashim Khan National Junior Squash Championship trials were announced in 2003. I lost to Alia Sarfraz by 3-2 and was ousted from the camp. I wept a lot, and then our coach, Rahim Gul, requested the authorities to give me another chance. On the second occasion, I beat down all the five girls. I was once again taken back to the camp and won the championship. Most girls raised the issue that they had lost to a boy and not to a girl,” added Turpakai.

She piled up her trophies, certificates, medals and shields before me and proudly said that her parents had a due share in all her achievements. Maria Turpakai remained champion in the 1st Balochistan National Junior Squash championship under-15, Faisal Bank Under-15 Girls Squash championship, EFU Sindh Junior Open Squash Championship Under-16, Sindh Squash Association Under-17 and Sindh Senior Squash Championship. In the SAF Games recently held in Islamabad, she won a bronze medal in the individual category and sliver medal in the team event. She represented Pakistan in the Asian Senior Squash championship held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2004.

“I demand of the managers of the Olympic Games to include squash as well and I am sure I will win for Pakistan. Also I request the governor, NWFP, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, to provide more sports and educational facilities to the women in Waziristan. If it is done, you will see that they do wonders in every field,” assured Maria. Her ideal is to be the Squash No.1 from Pakistan, her favourite dish is chicken karahi and biryani while her choice in dress is always what boys like to wear. She helps her mother in household chores.

“I will not marry and will continue my struggle to become a world female celebrity in Squash from Pakistan. I studied in class eight at the Warsak Model School and like Maths. I got the first position in the class. I take tough exercises and also give much time to my studies. My sister, Gulalai, helps me a lot,” added Maria Turpakai.

Ayesha Gulalai, born on October 5, 1986, is doing software engineering from the AIOU in Islamabad and she is also associated with a national daily for the last six months. She was in class five when she won first prize in an inter-school Urdu debate competition in Miran Shah. She applied once for news casting for PTV, Peshawar centre, where she was selected from among 500 candidates. Ayesha wishes to host current affairs programmes on PTV. She has received offers for it. “It has always been my earnest desire to become the secretary general of the UNO to maintain peace and security in the world. My father would take me to every programme arranged by the UNO here in Pakistan since my early childhood. One day I thought what I am saying in speeches should be done practically. Most of my speeches were based on women’s issues, human rights violations and growing population. I believe if I become the secretary general of the UNO, I will be able to serve the humanity better,” affirmed Gulalai.

She visited the American Consulate in Peshawar after 9/11 and presented a bouquet of flowers and also condoled over the loss of the thousands of precious human lives. She has won numerous awards, certificates, gold medals and cash prizes for her outstanding performance in Urdu and English debates at the provincial and national levels. Gulalai won the first prize in an international English debate in which 12 countries participated. Last year in December, Ayesha participated as the chairperson of the tribal union of female journalists in a workshop held in Islamabad for the female tribal journalists. A German parliamentarian, Dr Angelika, was so impressed by her performance that she invited her to address the German parliament on the problems faced by tribal women.

“I will shortly proceed to Germany for this purpose and after completing my education I will do social work. I appeal to the governor, NWFP, to take measures for the betterment of the tribal women and also the general masses,” she concluded.

Both the parents, Shamsul Qayyum and Yasrab Nayab, told this correspondent that they had suffered great hardships for their children. Being from a backward tribal area, their families were strongly opposed to female education. The mother is assistant director, education, in the Governor’s FATA Secretariat. She received education from a school situated 30 miles away from her village. “We are proud of our talented children and feel that they will inshallah achieve their respective goals,” the beaming parents uttered with hope.

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