TERRA magazine: Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Sumaira Inayat is the co-founder of the Gilgit-Baltistan Girls Football League, the first ever league for girls in the North of Pakistan. Her photos and story were created in collaboration with Goal Click, a sports storytelling organisation that finds and supports people around the world to tell stories about their sporting lives and communities.

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CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF & TELL US ABOUT YOUR FOOTBALL LIFE?

My name is Sumaira Inayat and I belong to the mountains of Northern Pakistan (Shimshal). I started playing football when I was 16. I started football with my sisters, and we were the first girls from Shimshal to play football and represent Pakistan in our community games. I also got a full sports scholarship for my undergraduate degree at University of the Punjab, Lahore. At that time football wasn't a common sport and was not really appreciated. Females have to face many societal and financial barriers in pursuing their dreams as an athlete.

Most of the football clubs in Pakistan are in cities, not in the North, and it is difficult for the girls from the North to come to cities for football. Years of experience in the sport and our dream of changing the situation of female footballers in Pakistan motivated me and my sister to start a league (Gilgit-Baltistan Girls Football League). It's the first ever league for girls in the North of Pakistan. GBGFL is a mission aimed at providing sports opportunities for girls alongside their education. The key point about this league is that it covers all the costs (travel, accommodation, food, kits, etc). The idea behind this was to provide girls a platform where they could play without any financial barriers.

WHO IS IN THE PHOTOS? WHERE WERE THE PHOTOS TAKEN?

‍The photos were taken in the beautiful Passu Valley during GBGFL Season 2 in 2019. In total 8 teams participated from different remote areas of Hunza. These pictures show the brave and courageous girls from Northern Pakistan, breaking stereotypes and fighting for their future. The reason for choosing Passu as the venue for our event was that it lies in the centre of Upper Hunza and on the Karakoram Highway, so it is easily accessible for everyone.

The community also supported us in every possible way. Mount Tupopdon, "The Sun-Drenched mountain", also known as “Passu Cathedral” or “Passu Cones”, towers over the tiny village of Passu. Passu is a tiny bastion of humanity surrounded by the overwhelming power of nature.

WHAT DID YOU TRY TO SHOW WITH THE PHOTOS?

Some of our teams come from remote areas with little or no experience or knowledge about sports. We feel great pleasure seeing players from those areas improve and become their best. Their parents and community have been very supportive and want their daughters to become professional athletes. Unfortunately, our country has not been the best compared to other countries and the negligence by our administration makes it difficult to convince the parents to keep supporting them. They're born talented and a little support from their families and our government would do wonders.

If you are determined to do something no matter how difficult the challenges you face, you will always succeed. This is what I learned from the girls in our league. Despite the harsh ground conditions the girls are so focused towards their goal.

ARE THERE ANY GOOD STORIES CONNECTED WITH THE PEOPLE OR TEAMS YOU PHOTOGRAPHED?

Despite not even having one proper football ground available in the entire region, these women have defeated all the odds. Seeing such young girls play on a rocky surface, they must have suffered a lot of injuries, as well as having their performances hampered by the dust flying from the barren pitches. The bravery and determination of girls is beyond limit. But not only the players, the supporters also face issues, as there is no proper sitting area or shade from the harsh weather conditions.

WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEMALE FOOTBALLERS IN PAKISTAN?

Football is still not a very common sport in Pakistan. The ground facilities are bad and expensive, there is no proper system. Cricket is mostly liked by everyone and I believe that cricket has overshadowed other sports, that's why most of the players give up on football. I believe that if the girls are provided better opportunities, nothing can stop them from achieving their goals. To me football is a “life-changing gadget”. The people from my region have played football for a long time. Sports makes them confident and focused towards their goal. We hope and wish that the platform becomes a stepping-stone not only for the girls of Gilgit-Baltistan but the whole of Pakistan.

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Images and interview: Goal Click