29 mountain girls aged between 11 to 22 years marched for four hours in one of the toughest trails in Pakistan to challenge norms and chase their love for football.
The trail leads from the Shimshal valley in Pakistan to the football field in Zarthgurben, situated 4,100 metres above sea level.
“The best moment was reaching the top with the girls. I believe we certainly made a national record by climbing the mountain to play football at record-breaking height,” Sajina Mirza, 21, told Gulf News.
The July 22 match was organised by Al Shams Women Football Club, established by Azeem Baqir and his cousin Munawar Ali, along with Baqir’s sister Karishma Inayat.
“The aim behind the women’s football match at the world’s highest ground was to send out a message of equality and peace from the remotest valley of Pakistan’s mountain regions,” says Baqir, 19, who along with Ali view sports as a form of empowerment that develops communities.
Baqir described the initial apprehension of locals who first “thought sports would waste their children’s time”, but quickly “realised the benefits such as getting scholarships on the basis of sports”.
