Apparently marksmanship is proof of manliness in the Pashtun tradition of ‘Mukha‘, but a Pashtun woman Sara Khan is forcing people to re-evaluate this statement. Thanks to this woman, slowly but surely, marksmanship is no longer considered as a man’s sport in KPK.
Sara is an expert markswoman. She has even founded the first archery school, ‘Pakhtunkhwa Archery Club‘, in the province in 2016. She trains both women and men.
Its a good thing that she didn’t let funny looks from strangers stop her from pursuing her goal.
“I am a kind of spectacle, … but that never discouraged me.”
Mukha, the traditional archery sport, was historically limited to men of all ages and backgrounds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Centuries later, Sara Khan is changing attitudes for the better with her archery skills.
ALSO READ
Afghan Father Who Wants To Educate His Girls in War-Torn Afghanistan Goes Viral
Mukha was a male-dominated tradition of the sport by design. A trained individual can flaunt their marksmanship skills regardless of gender.
“Archery is a technical sport, it needs focus and calmness.”
With her own archery school Pakhtunkhwa Archery Club, Sara knows that this sport costs more than just determination.
Let’s take a look at costs. A single bow costs Rs. 350,000. This means that about 21 of her current trainees won’t be unable to afford that. But here’s what Sara did. She paid for them and equipped them with bows and arrows free of charge.
Perhaps her understanding and empathy stems from her own experience of struggling to become the revered archer she is now.
From Average Girl to Expert Archer
So how did this woman go from your average girl to an excellent archer? She actually grew up training on archery courses organized by the Pakistan Army. Her parents were encouraging as she was ‘the boy they never had’.
“My parents have no sons, so I pretended to be their boy, and they are proud of my unique profession.”
ALSO READ
This Muslim Woman Puts Spider-Man To Shame [Video]
That didn’t stop other men from discriminating against her. But luckily, this ended up adding fuel to her ambitious fire.
“I still remember how difficult it was in the beginning, with hurdles created by men. But my father fully supported me. I showed every opponent that women can do what men can do,”
Sara actually came to Peshawar to study Urdu literature. Instead, she took up archery as a full-time gig after she graduated. Good thing she did because Pakhtunkhwa Archery Club has given us students who won third prize at the National Games this year.
Besides that, she’s changing how young men see the sport, not as a ‘man’s sport’ but as an inclusive one. This will pave the way for other women in the sport.
via Arab News
