Chitrali women footballers honoured

Islamabad : The Serena Hotels hosted 35 women footballers from the Chitral Women Sports Club (CWSC) under its Sports Diplomacy initiative to promote local sports and sportspeople.

The footballers are currently visiting Islamabad for a sports camp and sporting exchange.

The CWSC was set up in 2018 by Karishma Ali, a remarkable young woman hailing from the remote region, who has represented Pakistan in international footballing events and has won global accolades for her efforts to propagate women’s football in Chitral.

The 23-year-old said that the idea behind bringing these girls from Chitral to Islamabad was to provide them with opportunities to learn under the guidance of professional coaches and gain game exposure in a professional environment.

They are being coached by coach Jose Alonso from Spain and Waleed Javed, an FA level 1 and AFC C licensed coach, who are training the girls for a seven-day camp at the Jinnah Sports Stadium in Islamabad.

“I see tremendous potential in these girls. I am sure that the learning and exposure that they are getting by interacting with the coaches and fellow footballers from Islamabad and Rawalpindi sports clubs will be a game-changer for them,” said Karishma.

Aziz Boolani, CEO Serena Hotels South and Central Asia, said he was delighted to see the girls display such passion and enthusiasm for the sport, despite the barriers to entry in traditional societies where they hail from.

“Sports is a healthy pursuit and has the potential to be a harbinger of peace and social development, especially for remote areas like Chitral.” He said Serena had always taken the lead in supporting women’s empowerment through economic opportunities and sports ventures. "We are ever ready to encourage such sportswomen in their quest to reach for the stars."