Maria Toorpakai Wazir was born in South Waziristan, Fata, in a traditional tribal Pashtun family. Today she is Pakistan’s top squash player, currently ranked number 1 in Pakistan and 62nd in the world. She recently defeated World Number 34, South Africa’s Siyoli Waters, to lift the trophy at the second Bahria Town International Women’s Squash Championship. But the journey to the top was not easy for Maria, who had to disguise herself as a boy to be able to play sports in conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. Dawn spoke to Maria about her journey and the challenges she faced.

Q. How did you manage to play professional sports despite societal restrictions?

A: I grew up as a tomboy. When I was very young, I burnt all my dresses, cut my hair and put on my brother’s clothes. Disguised as a boy, I was able to go outside my home and play with my brother’s friends. My father gave me the nickname ‘Changez Khan’ and I became the family’s fifth son. I would play with slingshots and guns and ride my bike in Dara Adam Khel, where it was unthinkable for a girl to even step out of her home.

When I was 12, we moved to Peshawar. There, I became interested in sports and entered weight-lifting competitions under the name Changez Khan. I entered the boys Weightlifting Championship in Lahore, and won, ranking number two in Pakistan for weight-lifting in the junior division.

Squash is a big sport in Peshawar so I became interested in squash as well. My father took me to the PAF Squash Academy and introduced me as Changez Khan. But in order to enrol I had to submit my birth certificate and finally the truth came out. However, the director of the academy was pleased to see a girl finally joining the academy. He not only encouraged me but gave me a racquet to play with. This racquet had Jonathan Power’s name inscribed on it.

For the next four years I practiced day and night. By the time I was 16, I had won the bronze medal in the World Juniors Championship and I was ranked third in the world, in the under 19 category. I had also entered the top 80 in the world senior category. Many years later, Jonathan Power would invite me to train under him in Canada.

Q. What were some of the challenges you faced?

A: For a girl in this country, even something as basic as school education is difficult, so for a Pashtun girl to play squash, the road was paved with challenges. I had to fight to play, fight for my beliefs, fight for the right to just be who I am. I was bullied by boys in the courts when I first started playing because they could not accept being defeated by a girl. With little financial resources, I wore worn out shoes, second hand track suits and played with taped up torn squash balls. When I started playing professionally, I would travel all over the country by myself on public transport.

Later, when my victories won me government recognition, I began receiving threats from the Taliban. I was brave at first but later I just stopped playing. I didn’t want other children at the academy to get hurt in a bomb blast because of me. This was followed by three-and-a-half years of playing in my room and emailing academies around the world for an opportunity to train, without a risk to my life.

Except for limited recognition years ago, I have never been encouraged by the government. I have won laurels for my country but the government has never celebrated my achievements. People from the tribal areas are denied rights and only talked about in the context of militancy. When there is a positive story from these areas, it is just forgotten about.

Q. How can more girls in Pakistan be encouraged to play sports?

A: We need sports facilities for women but more than infrastructure, we need encouragement. Coaches must train girls like they train boys. Brothers and parents have a role to play; they must protect the girls in their family but they should also trust them. With their families’ support and trust, women can achieve anything.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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