1 hr ago
Deaf Pakistani Squash Player Sana Bahadar Reaches Asian Games
Sana Bahadar is a 20-year-old squash player from Pakistan.
She has been deaf and non-verbal since birth.
Squash helps her express herself and feel confident.
She began playing when she was 10 years old.
Her father has spent much of his own money to help her travel and compete.
Sana reached the Asian Games, although she lost her first match in the round of 32.
She is now ranked 179th in the world after winning the Bendigo Open.
Her next goal is to reach the top 100, but she needs more funding for training abroad.
Sana Bahadar, deaf and non-verbal since birth, uses squash as a form of self-expression and communication.
The 20-year-old made her Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya but lost in the round of 32 to Iran’s Najmeh Boushehrizadeh.
Her father, Sher Bahadar, sold two printing machines and said his business declined by 60% to finance her overseas competitions.
A Karachi-based foundation provides four million Pakistani rupees, or about $14,452, annually, but her family says more funding is needed.
Ranked world number 179 after winning the Bendigo Open, Sana aims to enter the world top 100 and resume overseas training.
- Who
- Sana Bahadar, a 20-year-old Pakistani squash player who is deaf and non-verbal, with support from her father, Sher Bahadar.
- What
- She reached the Asian Games, lost in the round of 32, and is pursuing a place in the world top 100.
- Where
- The Asian Games were held in Aichi-Nagoya; Sana is from Pakistan and trains and competes overseas.
- When
- She won the Bendigo Open last month and made her Asian Games debut at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
- Why
- Squash gave Sana a way to express herself and build confidence, while further progress depends partly on funding for overseas training.
Key facts
- Age
- 20
- Current ranking
- World number 179
- Asian Games result
- Lost in the round of 32 to Iran’s Najmeh Boushehrizadeh
- Recent title
- Bendigo Open
- Annual foundation support
- Four million Pakistani rupees, approximately $14,452
- Family sacrifice
- Her father sold two printing machines, and he said his printing business declined by 60%
- Next target
- Reach the world top 100 next year
Quotes
Sher Bahadar
Sana Bahadar’s father and a printing-business owner from Peshawar
“It has totally transformed not just her but the entire family. She and her mother used to cry a lot. She had an identity crisis. Now look at her, full of confidence and going places we never thought she will.”
rediff.com
“She's a role model not just for kids who can't hear or speak. In our family circles, she's seen as an example of where talent and commitment can take you.”
rediff.com
Sources
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