Recently the Naltar-slope-conquering trio of Anmar Habib, Adeeba Junaidi and Sidra Kamran helped Sindh retain the Saadia Khan Ski Cup — women’s National Skiing Championship crown.Overpowering teams like the Army and the Air Force, among others, Sindh won the title with confidence and aplomb.
The success, according to the Sindh Ski Association (SSA), will not only attract more women to the sport but also increase interest and awareness of the sport among the male population as well. “We have hundreds of skiers in Sindh presently and we’re hoping that the performance of our women’s team at the national level will only help us increase those numbers,” Javed Habib, president of the SSA, said.
With the recent capturing of Maalam Jabba by the Taliban, Naltar, although not of world-class standards, was deemed worthy enough to hold the championship. An 18-hour drive from Islamabad (via Gilgit) is required to reach the slope, thus yanking up the accessibility problem that also affects training schedule immensely. However, given accessibility issues of the winning trio — Anmaar is a high-school student in the US, Adeeba is in between jobs, while Sidra studies at LUMS — it was heartwarming to witness the tercet finish at the top.
Disappointed with the lack of media coverage of the championship — the event went by almost unnoticed — Habib urged interested individuals to come forward, expressing their desire to try out the sport. “Seldom is anyone born perfect at a sport,” he said. “We have recruited curious individuals from all walks of life, including gymnasts from Lyari, and have provided training facility to them and we invite others to come forward. It is an exciting sport, one that needs to be tried before reserving judgment. We, at the SSA, encourage whoever wants to have a go at skiing to come to us and we will provide them with the equipment and basic training facilities.”
Citing the need for a broader representation at the national level — and a decent one internationally — Habib confirmed that Pakistan lay towards the bottom of the Asian pool in the skiing world. He also mentioned that there was an acute shortage of equipment, skiing suits and world-class training facilities all year round thus depriving upcoming individuals and potential stars.
“The Ski Federation of Pakistan (SFP), with the help of the Pakistan Air Force, provides coaching, training and equipment for beginners as well as assisting with the preparation of the slope. The Vice-Chief of Air Force takes very keen interest in the promotion of this sport. However, the lack of funding limits their expenditure.
“The SSA receives no support from the government, no form of sponsorship and financial assistance from any other organisation. To increase awareness and improve performance, you must fulfill the basic needs of the athletes.”
The interest and involvement of Pakistani women in the sport is on the rise as last year the country was represented on the international circuit for the first time. Anmaar and Nadia Faisal represented Pakistan at the 2007 Asian Winter Games and, although the duo failed to win any medals, their presence – “Pakistani women skiing?” — created a buzz. Being part of history, Anmaar has set her hopes on representing Pakistan at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Training at a skiing academy while pursuing her academics, the 18-year-old is quite a motivated individual.
However, Habib was quick to point out the role that financial institutions and the government need to play. “Skiing is an expensive sport, something you can’t do in the street,” he said. “You need special equipment and a dedicated location and that’s where we need the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Olympic Association to step forward. We also need organisations that are willing to provide us with the much-required financial backing.”
Athletes with the potential of qualifying for the Olympics need to be sponsored today by private organisations who can then benefit from their international exposure.
Money or no money, a commendable feat by Sindh — and the rest of the participants considering not only accessibility but also security issues — lacked the presence of local media and the space it deserved on the sports pages considering its status as a national championship. “The local media was very poor in covering the event and relied on press releases and results issued.” Even after winning the championship for the second consecutive year there was no recognition by the Sindh government or the Sindh Olympic Association.
© Faras Ghani 2008
Published in Dawn Magazine Feb 24, 2008
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