The incident of Sawat emphasizes the difficulties and controversies surrounding the participation of females in sports in certain regions despite their aspirations and rights to pursue their sporting ambitions.
A women’s cricket match in the Charbagh region of Swat was abruptly suspended by a group of local residents, including religious leaders and elders, sparking controversy. The incident occurred at the Charbagh Cricket Stadium, where girls from the Babuzai and Kabal tehsils had congregated in the hopes of demonstrating their cricketing skills at an event organized by Ayesha Ayaz, a 12-year-old aspiring athlete.
Before the game could begin, however, a group of religious leaders and elders arrived at the venue and vehemently opposed the notion of females playing cricket on an open field. According to witnesses, the protestors hollered and screamed, considering it impolite for females to play cricket and insisting that such activities should not be permitted in the area.
Ayaz Naik, one of the event’s coordinators and Ayesha Ayaz’s father, emphasized that many young female cricketers in Swat aspire to play professionally. Despite the girls’ and organizers’ enthusiasm, their expectations were shattered when locals, notably religious leaders, intervened and prevented them from playing their favorite game.
The female cricket players, including Humaira Ahmad and Sapna, were perplexed by the opposition to women’s participation in athletics. They asserted that participating in athletics is a fundamental privilege and that they aspire to represent their country on the international stage one day.
Charbagh Tehsil Chairman Ihsanullah Kaki clarified that security concerns prompted the decision to suspend the women’s cricket match. He explained that the presence of armed individuals had rendered the security situation precarious, causing residents to feel dread and apprehension. Kaki stated that if the organizers had informed them in advance, they would have arranged for the match to be played on a field with boundary barriers to resolve the security concerns.
