THE sports event being over now, the girls are now retiring from the blazing heat of the open college ground into the shaded tents where they are hungrily devouring lunch.

Players of the blind women’s cricket team sit around round tables, eating their food, and chattering to each other.

Walking hand in hand, some of those who have finished walk out to do their other chores or go to their hostel. Others call each other loudly if they want to be heard about something. They are not shy of telling each other to pipe down either.

Since they are visually impaired, they must make use of other senses to get by, and so being direct is the best way forward.

It’s true because all of them have to rely on their sense of hearing, slightly tilting their heads towards the direction of a sound, subtly stretching out a palm to feel the presence of a chair.

For Aqsa Arif, the world overturned when she lost her eyesight.

“I wasn’t born blind; in fact I was very much into sports, painting and music,” she recalls. She had also been a basketball player.

However, one fateful day six years ago, a speeding basketball hit her so hard on her eyes that her retina was damaged and she lost her vision.

“I had to start from scratch then,” she says. “I learnt Braille, continued with all my activities…I didn’t give up.”

Today Aqsa, who is a student of Kinnaird College for Women, is proud to have been selected as one of the 25 members of the first national cricket team for blind women.

Like all the other blind girls around her, it must have been the ‘sportsman spirit’ that helped build resilience inside her to cope with such adversity.

“It’s all in God’s hands, that’s what I say to anyone who sympathises with me,” she says, her voice level and firm. “What’s important is how you lead your life afterwards.”

Earlier this year the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced that it planned to form the first national cricket team for blind women. For many visually impaired women, this has been a great move.

“We used to have the blind men’s cricket team, but no one thought that women would be interested too,” says 22-year-old Rabbia Shehzadi, from Sargodha. “Early next year we will be playing against Nepal.”

Fifteen out of the present 25 players will be retained for the event.

For many blind girls who had little else to do, sports has played an important role in their lives, helping them with physical and emotional release.

Blind girls, says Iqra Ahmed from Lahore College for Women (LCU), have it 10 times worse, especially because of their gender.

“Visually impaired boys at any age are encouraged to go out and prove themselves,” she points out. “With girls, families are always hesitant to allow them to study anyway, but when it comes to blind girls, they are always sure not much will come out of studying. Many of us have broken this stereotype, thanks to our parents who have stood up for us.”

Rabbia says her parents used to worry more about her safety and movement earlier, but they collected all their strength to allow her to leave the city and come to Lahore for studies.

“I came here around 10 years ago, and now this is where I study and live,” she says. “Of course I have help when I need, and I often visit my home, but I live an independent life.”

Iqra, who has been blind since birth, says that there are good and bad people everywhere.

“When I was a child people used to pass by saying mean things to me,” she remembers. “Today I have many friends who respect me for my abilities.”

She gives credit to her teachers at her blind school in Lahore’s Iqbal Town area for helping train her for sports.

“Two of my teachers, Ishrat Fatima and Asiya, helped me to train daily for cricket,” she says. “I have taken part in inter-school events too, but this is the first time I have been selected for an international event.”

Of course training and playing with a blind girls’ team is an equally tough job for teachers and trainers.

Shahida Shaheen, from a Rawalpindi school for blind girls, says since they can’t see gestures, one has to shout. “As my voice shows,” she laughs hoarsely, touching her throat.

It wasn’t always easy, though. At first there weren’t enough blind girls to form a team within a college, but then a network took shape and soon enough the idea of a national team came along.

Girls from other provinces came over to take part in the training. But of course not everyone has been selected.

Saira Jabbar, 17, is from Hyderabad and has been training since Sept 24. “We have few opportunities there, except for basic schooling,” she says. “But since it was my first experience, I don’t mind not being selected. It was a wonderful experience being here anyway.”

Saba Gul and her sister Saadia, both of whom are blind, have been selected for the national team. Saba says she wanted to take up physical education in Kinnaird as a subject, but was not encouraged at first as there were doubts about whether she would be able to do practical exercises.

“But when I did the long jump, they were so impressed that even the visually correct girls stepped back in admiration,” she recalls proudly. Additionally, her GPA has helped her earn a laptop.

“It all boils down to how your family treats you,” she says. “We are not treated as blind at our home. I even cook in the kitchen. My parents have never barred us from living life to the full and gave us the same opportunities as my other siblings. For that I’m thankful.

“But it is important for other parents of differently-abled children to realise that they must not keep them imprisoned at home.”

She says parents are often influenced by members of their extended family who ‘advise’ them to keep their daughters at home as they are ‘useless’.

“There are so many hidden talents living caged lives at home. It’s a crying shame,” says Saba.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2018