KARACHI: When Sahiba Sardil returned from playing the first women’s football tournament in Saudi Arabia last week, an experience she says has motivated her to strive for more, she received a hero’s welcome at home.
Sardil, a defender of the Pakistani team, was in the Kingdom for a four-nation friendly tournament held from Jan. 11 to 19 featuring Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Comoros and Mauritius. The South Asian country finished the competition as a runner-up, with the host coming out as champion.
When she arrived home in Mauripur, a small fishing town near the seaside metropolis Karachi, she was greeted with much fanfare. People from the community gathered and adorned her with garlands, while others played drums and waved the Pakistani flag as they marched alongside the football player.
“It was a great experience. I will always remember those 10 days,” Sardil told Arab News on Sunday.
“Saudi Arabia and the welcome I have received here at home have motivated me to work harder and go further.”
Sardil said she faced many difficulties before making it to the national team.
The 21-year-old had started her football journey playing with male cousins in a dusty space, where there was only one goalpost and another one had to be marked with stones placed on the ground.
She also grew up in a conservative area, where it was common for young girls to stay within the confines of their homes. Her father initially had “strict rules” for the women in their household but eventually gave in and allowed Sardil to join a football academy three years ago.
“I didn’t reach the national team and this position so easily…I had to bear so much,” she said.
Sardil’s father, a fisherman who would often be away for months at a time, is now her biggest supporter.
“The respect that I have received today, the support I have received, is because of my father,” she said.
Now that she is home after her first international competition, Sardil recalls the games in the Kingdom with fondness and said she had adored the Saudi team the most.
“To go to Saudi Arabia, to play outside of Pakistan was a huge honor for me,” Sardil said. “We felt really good playing against them. It felt as if we were playing football properly.”