ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top female badminton player Mahoor Shahzad said this week she was happy to have qualified for the upcoming Olympic games in Tokyo, having achieved her childhood dream to represent her country at the international level.
Shahzad, who is among the top 133 international athletes in her chosen sport, announced last week she had become the first badminton player from Pakistan to qualify for the Olympics.
It was my dream to represent my country in Olympics, and today Alhumdulillah, I am so overwhelmed to see my name in the BWF official list of qualifiers for Tokyo Olympics 2020. Being the FIRST ever badminton player to qualify for Olympics is a proud moment for the whole nation pic.twitter.com/Gsu78Xxz4J
— Mahoor Shahzad (@OfficialMahoor) July 7, 2021
The 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and will take place between July 23 and August 8 in Japan.
“It has always been my dream to represent my country at the highest level,” Shahzad told Arab News over the phone on Tuesday. “Qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics has definitely fulfilled my dream as it is the biggest sporting event around the globe. It is a proud moment not only for me but for the whole nation.”
Mahoor Shahzad raises her trophies after winning the Women Single Titles in the 56th National Badminton Championship in Lahore, Pakistan, on January 31, 2019 (Photo courtesy: Mahoor Shahzad)
The 24-year-old athlete was inspired by her father, a passionate sportsman who played badminton at the junior level, and tried to master the game from her early childhood.
She recalled how her father introduced her to several sports, including rowing, which she always found “a little boring.”
24-year-old Mahoor Shahzad proudly wears the Pakistan colors in this undated photo. Shahzad has qualified to represent Pakistan at the Olympic games in Tokyo in July-August 2021. (Photo courtesy: Mahoor Shahzad)
“I used to count down from each session of rowing to get to the weekend where I could actually enjoy,” Shahzad said. “When I played badminton, however, I never wanted the training to end.”
With all her hard work, Shahzad became Pakistan’s Junior (Under 19) National Champion when she was only 13.
In this undated photo, Mahoor Shahzad plays at the National Badminton Championship in Pakistan in 2017. (Photo courtesy: Mahoor Shahzad)
“After that [becoming the Under 19 champion], I never wanted to quit badminton,” she said. “It became my passion.”
She said Pakistani women were not always allowed to enter sports, adding that they should be given the freedom to identify their talents.
“Each and every girl has a hidden talent which she can only find if she has freedom to discover her true potential,” Shahzad said. “I would tell girls not to hesitate at trying something different and I would request parents to allow their daughters to play outdoor sports which will also help them do well in the other fields.”
Shahzad said she was looking forward to meeting fellow athletes from all over the globe when she arrived in Tokyo.
In this undated photo, Mahoor Shahzad can be seen at the Creek Club in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2019. (Photo courtesy: Mahoor Shahzad)
“I cannot wait to compete against top athletes in the world and to gain more exposure from international badminton,” the badminton star said. “And I am excited to experience the atmosphere in the arena which will definitely help me handle high pressure moments.”
