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Hailing from Kalat, Balochistan, Raheela Zarmeen is the current manager of Balochistan United as well as Pakistan’s Women Football Team. She did her graduation in Political Science and holds a diploma in Mass Communication. She is also member of the Youth Parliament Pakistan & Beydar Foundation. 

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Raheela talked about the obstacles she had to face, her struggle for the development of women football in Balochistan, players that inspire her, future aspirations and much more. 


By Farid Khan (31st March, 2015)

 

PakPassion.net : Women in Pakistan are mostly seen in kitchens. What made you take up football as a profession? 

Raheela Zarmeen : The concept of women being in the kitchen is a bit too old. I feel the image of women in Pakistan is totally different now. Women in Pakistan are educating and developing. I have always liked sports and I have been brought up in a football family, so I always wanted football to develop in our country. My aim is to develop women football in Pakistan and I am fully focused on doing that. 

PakPassion.net : Did you face any obstacles in your journey to becoming a professional footballer?

Raheela Zarmeen : As a Pakistani, and with an aim of promoting the game of women football in Pakistan, I was bound to face various obstacles and that was exactly the case with me. Obstacles are part of the journey to success and I still feel I will be facing a lot of obstacles in future as well, but my aim is very articulate and I'm focused about what I have to do and how I am going to cross all those barriers in my path. 

PakPassion.net : Which player was your inspiration when you were growing up?

Raheela Zarmeen : There were a lot of players that inspired me when I was still growing up, but one name stands up tall; David Beckham. Playground rules dictate kids pretending to be footballers, when participating in a kick-around and David Beckham was always the player I imitated. Not because of his diverse hairstyles or the elaborate tattoos, but merely the fact he was just an extremely fantastic player. 

PakPassion.net : Do you follow female football as well? Do you like any specific female footballer and why so?

Raheela Zarmeen : Yes, I do follow female footballers. Abby Wambach is one of them. She plays for the USA and she stands as the highest all-time goal-scorer for the national team. She also holds the world record for international goals for both males and females with 178 international goals. That just proves women are as good as men are in the game of football or maybe, even better. 

PakPassion.net : What's the status of women football in Pakistan like as compared to abroad?

Raheela Zarmeen : Women's Football is still in its initial stages in Pakistan and should not be compared to abroad. It needs more international exposure and a little bit more attention from the government. Women in our country are as good as any in any other country in the world, but lack of attention and negligence by the government doesn’t help their cause at all. There is an air of disappointment among the young players. 

PakPassion.net : Do you think the PFF is paying attention towards women football as well and what has it done for its betterment in recent years? 

Raheela Zarmeen : Yes, I do believe women football is being given equal exposure and attention by the President of the Pakistan Football Federation, Mr. Makdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat. There are a lot of programs for the women players, women coaches and for women referees. There are talks going on for a few initiatives which are to be taken for the national women team and hopefully the President of PFF will implement them. 

PakPassion.net : What's the craze for football in Balochistan like? Are females following the game there? 

Raheela Zarmeen : Yes, in Pakistan, the best footballers are produced in Balochistan, whether they are men or women. Essa Khan and Kaleemullah, who are by far the best footballers from Pakistan, belong to Balochistan. As far as women football is concerned, Shahlyla Baloch, Riffat Mehdi and Shahida Chintoo are the ones which stand out. Balochistan United are the current women champions of Pakistan and it is the best example of women following football in that part of our country. 

PakPassion.net : Tell us about your club Balochistan United. Are there any future stars in there?

Raheela Zarmeen : Yes, there are! As I mentioned before, Balochistan United are the national women football champions of Pakistan and for the last 3 years, BU have made it to the victory stand. I take immense pride in saying that Balochistan United have most of the future stars of Pakistan. This year, for the 3rd SAFF Cup, ten players from Balochistan United, were also part of the national team of Pakistan. 

PakPassion.net : Tell us about the coach of Pakistan women football team Mr. Tariq Lutfi? How good is he and what has he done for women football in Pakistan?

Raheela Zarmeen : Well, it is a universal phenomenon that good coaches have lasting impression on players. All women football players are fond of Mr. Tariq Lutfi. Women football is quite tough as compared to men football, especially in our country, but Mr. Tariq Lutfi always comes up with a proper training schedule for our female footballers. He has evaluated the weak areas for each player and works individually with them. He very well knows exactly how to tackle the situation and how to improve their skills.

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