17-year-old goalie Rehana Jamali is overjoyed. In the All Sindh Women Hockey Tournament last month, her team finished in second place.
Speaking over the phone from Jacobabad, Sindh province, she informed IPS, “We were the youngest of the seven teams.” Two years ago, when temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius, the city made news as the hottest place on planet. There, the temperature soared to 52°C this year. “We trained during the worst of the heat in May and June, in preparation for the tournament,” Jamali stated.
She acknowledged, “Obviously, this affected our game.”
“You have no idea the struggles these girls face,” noted 32-year-old Erum Baloch, a schoolteacher and former hockey player who oversees the only women’s sports program.
