Tameen Khan eyes victory at international competitions

LAHORE: Tameen Khan, Pakistan’s fastest woman sprinter, has expressed her desire to make the country proud by competing at the international level, including the Olympics.

Tameen has recently won the 100 metre race during the ongoing National Athletics Championship by crossing the line in 11.86 seconds. The athlete was representing the Pakistan Army in the national sporting event.

“I worked really hard for this over the past couple of years. During the race, I defeated opponents who have been competing for the past 10 years,” the athlete told Geo News in an exclusive interview on Sunday.

“I have been selected for international events as well. My target is to participate in the Olympics, Asian Games, Asian Athletics and South Asian Games and perform well for my country,” the Peshawar-born athlete added.

Bearing in mind the lack of proper training facilities in Pakistan, Tameen hoped that she will be sent abroad in order to fine-tune her skills.

“I’m hopeful that after this performance I will be sent abroad for better training. Athletes need exposure and better facilities,” she said.

Tameen also revealed that her grandfather, Abdur Rehman Khan Gandapur, was also a sprinter but he “could not compete at the highest level due to recurring injuries”. She added that famous former Pakistani sprinter Abdul Khaliq was also a “fan of her grandfather”.

Tameen is hopeful about carrying forward her grandfather’s legacy in the sport.

She also brushed aside the notion that women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can’t be good athletes.

“I think there is a lot of talent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More girls will take up sport in that region especially if they have the support of their parents,” she concluded.

Tameen also revealed that her grandfather, Abdur Rehman Khan Gandapur, was also a sprinter but he “could not compete at the highest level due to recurring injuries”. She added that famous former Pakistani sprinter Abdul Khaliq was also a “fan of her grandfather”.

Tameen is hopeful about carrying forward her grandfather’s legacy in the sport.

She also brushed aside the notion that women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can’t be good athletes.

“I think there is a lot of talent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More girls will take up sport in that region especially if they have the support of their parents,” she concluded.