Women badminton event begins in Swat

MINGORA: The four-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inter-District Women Badminton Tournament kicked off at Saidu Sharif in Swat.

The tournament has been organised by KP Badminton Association. As many as 20 women players from across KP are participating in the event.

“I am from Abbottabad and am the defending champion of the event. I am also the junior champion at the national level,” said 18-year-old Kainat while talking to ‘The News’.

She said she was scared of coming to Swat because of law and order in the past. “However, I found the valley very peaceful now,” she added.

Another 19-year-old player Mehwish from Peshawar said she was a runner-up last year in the provincial badminton games.

“I am determined to win the tournament this year,” she said and added that Swat was not only a historical and tourist spot but a nice place for sports as well.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the event, KP Badminton Association President Zafar Ali Khan said it was a great honour for KP, particularly for Swat district, to host the women badminton tournament.

“Swat is a changed place. Once affected by militancy, today Swat is an attraction for tourists and game lovers,” he said, adding the women in KP had tremendous talent in sports.

He hoped in the near future women players from KP would represent Pakistan in the international events and would earn a good name for the country.

The players urged the provincial government to establish badminton courts for women in all districts of the province.

“I want to represent Pakistan in the international events and show to the world that Pakistani girls have potential in sports as well. I request Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to establish a separate state-of-the-art sports gymnasium for women,” said Malaika Ali, 16-year-old badminton player from Swat.