Daily Times

LAHORE: No dream is ever chased alone. So for those women, who aspire to be competitive and strong sportswomen, the formation of a team becomes vital for them to achieve their goals. Karachi-based KheloKricket works towards the development of women’s cricket in Pakistan. “I took this initiative when I realised that we are left behind in the world when it comes to sportswomen leading the way. There are so many girls out there who every day aspire to play cricket but do not get the opportunity to do so. With KheloKricket, girls from academies, schools, colleges and all walks of life, with absolutely no age limit can apply through our website or Facebook page and join,” KheloKricket Founder Hadeel Obaid, said while talking to Daily Times. The women’s cricket tournament as part of KheloKricket commenced from Thursday and concludes on Sunday, after Iftar. The venue is Kokan Ground, Bahadurabad, Karachi.

Other than experiencing their life long dream coming to life on ground, these women will not play for free. Hadeel said that the prize money for the tournament is Rs.75,000 for the winning team and Rs.50,000 for the runners up team. Hadeel founded KheloKricket back in October, 2015 when she realised that the sport is being played in abundance all over the world, regardless of gender and age. The platform also support aspiring men who wish to join. For the past three years, the tournaments have been taking place in Karachi, but Hadeel says the biannual activity might come to Lahore in September this year. Hadeel says where recognised female sportswomen in Pakistan charged a whopping fee to support the cause or to attend any of the matches, Bonanza Satrangi was the first brand who took a chance with a women’s team and supported it. “They made it happen. They knew it was the next step forward,” Hadeel says. “You see, opportunities like these are very rare and I am proud to say that young Pakistan cricketer Ayesha Zafar came and endorsed our cause,” she says. KheloKricket, meaning play cricket, is an ambitious initiative that empowers women and give them a chance to fulfill their passion of playing the sport. One wishes Hadeel well and hopes that the venture comes to Lahore soon.

Published in Daily Times, May 25^th 2018.