Pakistani Girl Becomes the Fastest Woman in South Asia

Naseem Hameed, a 22-year old girl from Karachi has won the 100-metre race in 11.81 seconds to become the fastest woman sprinter in South Asia. She returned to a tumultuous welcome here after a historic performance at the South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bangladesh and hoped her feat would inspire other female athletes from the country to do well at international stage. Living in a 40 square yard house with her family in Korangi district of Karachi, Naseem was greeted by hundreds of people, her family members and Pakistan army athletes turned up at the airport to welcome Naseem who is an Army employee on a salary of 9000 rupees per month. Previously, Pakistan’s Shabana Akhtar won two gold medals for long jump in the 1993 and 1995 SAF Games. “When I won the race I did not realise my gold medal would evoke such response and celebrations in Pakistan,” she said. “And I will do my best to compete and win at higher levels like the Commonwealth Games and Olympics,” she vowed. Pakistani lawmakers demanded a full-time job and house for Naseem, who comes from Karachi’s impoverished locality area of Korangi.