At Women’s Day, Pakistani athletes push football into new era

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s women’s football movement is gaining renewed momentum as officials and young players highlight growing participation and opportunities following International Women’s Day celebrations in the capital.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) marked AFC Women’s Football Day with the “Women in Play: Ramzan Football Festival” at Jinnah Stadium, bringing together young girls and clubs for a five-a-side tournament aimed at increasing visibility and participation in women’s football.

PFF Director Women’s Football Mejzgaan Orakzai said Pakistan’s women’s teams have recently shown promising results on the international stage.

“Our women’s national team put up a very good show in the AFC qualifiers last year,” Orakzai told Pakistan TV Digital. “We were able to secure wins against Indonesia as well as Kazakhstan.”

She added that the federation has also expanded into new formats of the sport.

“In January, we formed our first ever national futsal team, and we competed against seven South Asian countries,” she said. “We secured two wins and a draw against some very strong teams in South Asia. And we’re looking forward to putting up a very good show at the FIFA series happening next month in April.”

According to the PFF, the upcoming tournament will mark a historic moment for Pakistan, as the women’s national team prepares to participate in the FIFA Series in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire next month. The first time a Pakistan team will feature in the event.

The Islamabad festival itself featured participation from five clubs, Legacy, Strikers, Smurfs, Highlanders and Infinite, with dozens of young girls competing in a non-competitive tournament designed to encourage participation and confidence.

Orakzai said the event was meant to send a broader message about opportunity and inclusion.

“As part of International Women’s Day, it’s a very important reminder for us that we build an equitable, inclusive and supportive society where women can participate and lead in all aspects of life,” she said.

“We all know historically that women face a lot of barriers in sports in general. In football particularly, women in Pakistan, and globally, face a lot of barriers.”

She added that the goal of the event was to create a welcoming space for young players.

“With today’s event, our aim was to bring together young women and girls to come and play football in a very inclusive and supportive environment to celebrate International Women’s Day,” Orakzai said.

“We saw participation from eight teams representing five clubs here in Islamabad. We saw girls as young as 12 and 13 years old participating. It was really encouraging. My heart is full of joy. I am very hopeful and proud of all the girls who came out and participated.”

Among those players was 12-year-old Alina Bilal from Smurfs Elite, who said events like these are crucial for young girls entering the sport.

“I think events like these are really important because it gives women a chance to play and build their confidence,” she told Pakistan TV Digital. “When women play like this they feel free, and they can express themselves.”

Bilal said football has been part of her life since early childhood.

“I’ve been playing since I was about two years old,” she said. “When I play football, I feel free and it takes all of my stress off. I really want to encourage other girls to play.”

During the festival, Shanzeh Khan of Legacy was named best player, Asra of Strikers finished as top scorer and Aleena Bilal of Smurfs Jr won the best goalkeeper award.

PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani said the federation remains committed to expanding opportunities for women in the sport.

“As we celebrate the continued growth of women’s football and women in football in the country, the PFF reaffirms its commitment to increasing participation of women in the sport,” he said in a statement.