PESHAWAR: Two talented young girls of Peshawar are trying hard to make a bright sports career and have a cherished dream to bring laurels for Pakistan in Olympic Games competitions.

Years ago when bad times hit their family, Husna Awan and Hafsa Awan learnt kite making from their father to meet their education and sports expenses. In a chat with this correspondent, the hardworking sisters dwelt upon their sports career amid tough life experiences and future plans.

The performance of the talented sisters in KP Under-21 Games has recently attracted attention of the public as well as of social media. This scribe caught up with them to share their success story for the readers.

“If stipend is granted, my talented daughters will scale the heights of success towards women empowerment and girls’ education. I want my daughters focus on education and sports, but kite making is compulsion,” father Gohar Ali Awan told this correspondent.

Husna and Hafsa excelled in KP U-21 Games, make kites to meet their expenses

Recipients of several gold medals, the two sisters stated that their father got them admitted to a martial arts academy near their home in Suhailabad area in Peshawar outskirts where they received training for three years under a qualified coach. The young girls not only excelled in as many as seven sports events of KP Under-21 Games, including martial arts, but also showed good performance in academics.

Sharing her views, Husna Awan said with a sad note that years ago when her mother lost her eyesight and her dad became jobless, bad time surrounded their family, but fortunately they soon learnt the wonderful art of kite making from their father at home which helped them financially to meet both their education and sports expenses.

“A time came when we both began participating in different events of KP Under-21 Games and won several gold medals. Badminton is my forte, but I love martial arts; the credit goes to my parents who encouraged us both to strive hard. We make around 300 kites a day and earn enough to meet our expenses, but still we need financial assistance to support our parents as my mom is bedridden and dad is jobless,” Ms Awan stated.

Both sisters regularly attended their classes and then hurriedly landed in the Peshawar stadium for playing various games, followed by martial arts academy and finally sat in homes to make colourful kites for selling them out in Yakatoot Bazaar to earn a livelihood.

“We are determined to participate in the Olympic Games and it is our dream to bring medals to Pakistan. Our message to girls is that if we could excel in martial arts, academics and earn enough to meet our expenses then we believe every girl could do it,” the enthusiastic sisters said.

“We have been emboldened by hardships in our life, but encouraged by our parents through their consistent support and guidance,” Ms Hafsa Awan stated.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2022