Mini-Maradona – gone too soon
More than 150,000 people around the planet die each day, but it’s the departure of young souls that leaves everyone utterly devastated. Their passing is unfathomable to many since those bright minds were expected to do wonders in their lives.
Shahlyla Ahmadzai Baloch, who represented Pakistan national women’s team as a forward, passed away in the wee hours of October 13 in a horrendous car crash at the age of 20.
She was billed as one of the greatest female talents the country has ever produced in football.
Nicknamed ‘mini-Maradona’, Shahlyla played for the local club Balochistan United, which is owned by her mother Rubina Irfan, who is also the chairperson of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Women’s Wing. Shahlyla’s elder sister Raheela Zarmeen is the manager of the women’s national football team.
Shahlyla burst onto the scene at the age of seven when she made her domestic debut in 2005, becoming the youngest female player to feature in the National Championship. Her international debut came in 2010, when she was inducted into the national team for the inaugural South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship.
She was one of the lynchpins of the national squad during the SAFF Championship in 2014 in Islamabad, the last international assignment of the team.
Her phenomenal talent also earned her a spot at Maldives’ Sun Hotels and Resorts FC last year.
She also holds the honour of being the only Pakistani woman player to have bagged a hat-trick of goals abroad during her stint in Maldives.
She was such a gifted player that she took no time in proving herself as one of the quality strikers with her scintillating display of skills.
She also clinched the prestigious FIFA’s Youngest Player Award when she was only seven.
Pakistan football is already suffering due to the infighting between its two factions. The incapability of the officials has brought the sport – which is not extensively followed here – to the brink of disaster.
Shahlyla always wanted to win laurels for Pakistan on international stage. But with her untimely death, her dream couldn’t be fulfilled.
People, who have seen her playing, recall her swiftness on the field and her profound dedication for the sport. Her wily nut-megging skills would keep the rival players at bay.
In Pakistan, sportswomen are defying all the odds, but they receive little or no support like their male counterparts.
In our male-dominated society, many aspiring girls don’t get the green signal from their families to prove their mettle in sports. Those who succeed are lucky to have surrounded by people who understand the importance of talent. Shahlyla was one of them. Becoming an athlete was in her DNA.
We cannot bring back the people who are the pride of our nation, but we can always take inspiration from their indomitable spirit. Shahlyla broke the stereotypes and stood for what she loved. She gave faith and hope to all young girls, and epitomized courage and a never-say-die attitude.