“I beat it and I win at the game,” Hajra Khan

  • 07 Mar - 13 Mar, 2020
  • Eman Saleem
  • Interview

“One weekend, two world records,” simply read a caption. You know a woman is destined for huge accomplishments when an Instagram caption can read just that. Captain of the national women’s football team, an ambassador for mental health awareness and a symbol of women empowerment, she is quickly climbing the ladder not just for the team but for all of us. In honour of the International Women’s Day, we speak to Hajra Khan, setting records and breaking stereotypes.

Icebreaker! How did Hajra Khan become captain of the football team and the face of female athletics in Pakistan?

At 11, I was running marathons professionally, I looked up and I didn’t notice any female role models in Pakistan and that’s when I realised that I wanted to achieve something so big in sports that I could become that role model for the younger generation. When I became captain in 2014, it was a cherry on top of what my goals had been. Now I feel like I can use football as a platform to speak about a lot of things that need to be spoken about.

At what age did you realise your passion for sports?

I was always a sportive child. I ran a marathon in India representing Pakistan and came 42 out of 7000 open-aged people. At 14, I started playing football and that’s been my love ever since.

The most sexist remark you’ve heard?

The most usual one is they want you to play on the girls’ team because the boys’ team is rougher and girls are fragile. I proved them wrong by playing on the team and beating them. That’s one sexist remark taken care of.

When you huddle, as the captain, what are your final words to get the girls going?

The final words are that every girl on the team has to play their own part, has to be responsible with every move they make and if somebody falls short, the rest of the team has their back, it’s all good, we move on to whatever is to come. I tell them to take the bull by the horns and just go for the wind.

Your first reaction at making a Guinness World Record?

My first was in Jordan, we tracked 90km on the mountains, down the valleys and it was really hot. After all that physical exertion, we played a world record game and when the record was set, I felt like I had tears in my eyes because I never imagined something like this, that was just the beginning for me.

Your local and international inspirations?

I’m not sure if I have any local inspirations but there are a lot of athletes who’ve broken stereotypes to achieve some real records in sports in Pakistan. Internationally, I look up to the style of play of Marta Vieira da Silva (Brazillian) and in leadership, I look upto Abby Wambach (United States).

How important is societal and family support to make a career as an athlete?

Making sports a career in Pakistan is very close to impossible unless you are an extraordinary player or you have good backing by your federation. Sadly, that’s the case. Although I had immediate family support, I did not have extended family support. They would say this is not how it works in our family, this is a disgrace to us, and what are people going to say. But society now has started accepting women in the field. There are a lot of parents that are seeing role models like Sana Mir and let their daughters have that chance.

As per your experience, is the women football team treated like a filler to balance gender dynamics by the Football Federation?

I have been playing for about 12 years now and I haven’t really been made to feel that the authorities actually prioritise women’s football. It has ever since the beginning just been a kickboxing activity for the funds that keep coming in and everybody knows this. It’s frustrating, not just for me but fellow players too, that the funds are not being spent on the players as they should.

Out of all the challenges you faced, which was the most difficult to get past?

Personally, I suffer from clinical depression and high-functioning anxiety, it is a lot more trying to keep my mental fitness topnotch more than my physical fitness. If at any point I was not in the right state of mind, my training would get affected. It’s not very easy because I’m a high performing athlete and there’s pressure from society, coaches, players. There’s a bunch of things that complete an athlete and me suffering from my mental illnesses and being able to compete at this level has been quite challenging but I beat it and I win at the game, so on to the next one.

The most ridiculous anti-female athletic myth you grew up believing and enjoyed busting?

One myth everybody spoke about was that you cannot play once you get your period. But once I did, I was pretty comfortable with it. And in all honesty, I have had one of my best games on my period. One myth I busted and I keep busting it.

The most encouraging remark you’ve gotten?

I was 18 years old and it was the national qualifiers in Karachi. One of the referee’s comes up to me and says, “I had a daughter two weeks ago and I’ve named her Hajra, so she can play like you and becomes like you.” At the mere of age 18, I was pleasantly surprised because I had only been playing for a couple of years and to be able to make that impact meant everything for me. It was the biggest compliment I will ever get.

Say a young girl dreams of playing for the national team, where should she start?

There are a couple of ladders you have to climb, once you make the camps, you have to fight harder to make the national team. You look for a football club in your locality. Through these clubs you play at national championships and then you get picked for the national team. To the parents, if your child is showing interest in sports, please support them. You never know what they are going to become one day.

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