MANCHESTER, July 30: Sana Abdul Wahid made her mark on swimming history on Tuesday when she became the first woman from Pakistan to swim for her nation outside a Muslim country.

Eighteen-year-old Wahid and 12-year-old Kiran Khan form the first Pakistan swimming team to compete in the Commonwealth Games as the nation emerges from “sporting purdah”.

Wahid finished third of four in the opening heat of the 50 metres butterfly in 33.53 seconds, making her 26th of the 27 who took part. Australia’s Petria Thomas, a world champion in the 100 and 200 butterfly, led the way into the evening’s semi-finals in 27.07.

“I am very proud. It was very good to be able to swim with so many experienced swimmers,” Wahid said. “I taught myself to swim and have been encouraged by my team manager.”

She has more events to swim but also has one other ambition in Manchester: “I would like to meet Ian Thorpe while I am here,” she said.

Wahid, who trains in a small recreational pool, has won national championship titles every year since 1998 in freestyle, butterfly and the 400 metres individual medley.

Team manager Veena Masud says that swimming has only recently been considered a sport in Pakistan and the nation of 140 million possesses only two Olympic-size 50-metre pools, neither of which is available for training.

Initially the swimmers had to observe the strictest of Islamic codes, which meant that only women could officiate at their competitions and no men were allowed as spectators.

They competed at two Islamic Women’s Games in Iran, the only place where the rules were observed strictly enough to permit it.

Khan, who is coached by her father, joins the action on Wednesday in the 100 metres backstroke.

“The important thing is Pakistan has come out of sporting purdah and done so within the Islamic culture,” Masud says.—Reuters