«Losing my father at a young age was no less than a tragedy for our whole family. My mother made sure she nurtured us well with whatever means of earning were available. As I grew up, I became fond of sports and started participating in different sport activities. My pocket money was spent entirely on buying rackets or tennis balls. Despite my interest and passion, I was unable to promote my talent due to lack of opportunities and facilities for girls in our region.

As time passed, I started seeing the challenges that one faces being a female athlete. Unavailability of platforms, opportunities, financial resources and non-supportive behavior by the male counterparts made it very difficult for me to be hopeful to achieve my dreams.

While I was dreaming big, life took my brother, my best friend from me, leaving a mother and two sisters behind. In the face of this setback, I had to earn a living for my family which meant that I could no longer wait to polish my athletic abilities or dream of becoming an athlete someday. I started a job that consumed most of my time but still, I didn’t leave my dreams behind. I didn’t want girls of my area to suffer from lack of opportunities.

Little by little, I saved up to establish my own academy, named Stars Women Hockey Academy. We had 7 hockey sticks and 4 hockey balls, mostly used or damaged. We saw great difficulties in managing this academy. No female coach was available to guide us and no one was willing to support us financially. So again, I saved up to purchase hockey sticks and balls for an upcoming match in Larkana District. Despite having minimal training, we won the match by 9-0. We felt encouraged for the first time in our lives. A series of matches came our way and we tried our best to prove ourselves.

Along with being a teacher at the Community Midwifery School Health Department Sindh, I still take time to manage my academy and prepare teams for matches. I was proud when two athletes from my academy represented Pakistan Education Team’s trip to Thailand.» – Erum Baloch

CC: UN Women, UN Women Asia and the Pacific,Global Goals for Sustainable Development, Pakistan Sports Board, Stars Women Hockey Academy,Pakistan Hockey Federation