KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Women Development Syeda Shehla Raza said on Monday that it was a pride for women athlete to represent and participate in the Games in which Pakistan had never been represented in the Olympics.
“Women are making strides in every field and are playing their role for the development and bright future of Pakistan, she expressed these views while presenting a shield of appreciation in her office to Mahu Shehzad, the first female athlete to represent Pakistan in a Badminton event at the Tokyo Olympics, and wished her success in the Olympics.
Secretary Sindh Women Development Ms Anjum Iqbal Jamani, Sindh Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Nuzhat Shirin, former International Hockey Player and Coordinator Pakistan Hockey Federation Haider Hussain were also present on the occasion. She said that Mahu Shehzad is the pride for Pakistan, especially for Sindh who had been the national champion for five consecutive years and was now representing Pakistan in Tokyo Olympics.
“In a situation where various incidents in Pakistan are being linked to women but our daughters are moving forward in this way, I wish our daughters had better opportunities and so they can improve their performance,” she said.
She said that the main purpose of inviting Mahu Shehzad to her office and presenting her a shield of appreciation was to encourage her and wish her well for his best performance in the Tokyo Olympics. Shehla said that it was unfortunate that other provinces in Pakistan are not paying attention to sports in the same way as Sindh. “I urge the federal and provincial governments to sponsor and promote sports and not to discriminate on the basis of gender,” she said