Pakistan Boys Dreaming of Emulating RIS Badminton Champion

By: Ageng Wibowo Jakarta (Antara) - Everybody must have his or her own personal dream to achieve in the future, including two boys from a Pakistani place that was once occupied by a militia force. In a small valley of Swat located in Khyber Pakthunkwa, Pakistan, where not long before, Taliban played a game of blood and fire and banned girls from having education. During their time there the militants also created an environment of extreme horror, destroyed government buildings and blasted more than 400 schools. They were also against sports activities and banned people from practicing them in the valley. However, inside the grim and dangerous environment some young boys, irrespective of death risks, continued their sports activities. Among them some players of badminton for whom the game is their craze who regularly play the game and do their practice locally. Two local little shutlers Abdul Basit (12) and Faisal Khan (15) are dreaming to become professional badminton players like their idol from Indonesia, Taufik Hidayat, who is one of the world's top badminton players. Badminton is played in some parts of the Swat valley regularly in outdoor court, Both Abdul and Faisal love the game more than their life and wish to play it on international platform. "We love Taufik Hidayat as he has both style and skills. We want to become a great players like him," both, Faisal and Abdul Basit said. Having dream to train in Indonesia. Both the boys belong to an area which was once a stronghold of the Taliban militants. Faisal and Abdul Basit hate the time of the militants and termed it as a bleak time of their life. "We did not like the time of the militants as they stopped us from our education and our loving sports it was not a good time," they said. "This is our long standing dream to go to Indonesia, Malaysia or China to get professional training of Badminton as these countries are on the top. We really love badminton and in this way we love the countries where badminton is played," Abdul Basit is emerging as a very good badminton player as he always watches matches of great players, try to learn from it and practice on different approaches. Both young athletes also admitted that they regularly watch Taufik Hidayat videos on internet and try to learn techniques from him. "We don't have any coach but we watch matches of Taufik Hidayat and other great players and learn techniques from them," they said. Their achievement as shutlers Abdul Basit plays in an open ground court made by local people, where he has no one else of his age to play with him at his village so he tries to play with adult. Both Abdul Basit and Faisal Khan have played national level tournament in Peshawar and represented Swat valley. These boys have taken part in national events where they proved to be better players than those who have more opportunities and facilities. In Pakistan, only rich players have good badminton rackets while some have average, because for them good and original rackets are hard to buy. "If we had practical opportunities in our area, we would be better players but unfortunately we have nothing here," they said. Abdul Basit is considered the 2nd top player in the whole Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province in Under 12 category. Faisal has also played several tournaments in Under 16 category and secured positions in the top 3. "Come what may, we will learn and become good players. We need a chance and we will prove that we are not behind of anyone," they vowed. In pursuing their dreams to be like their idol, Taufik Hidayat, they have appealed to the Indonesian government and the Pakistani embassy in Indonesia so that they could be given the opportunities to join the coaching camps in Indonesia, hoping they can get professional training. "We want to become great players of Badminton and get training in the Taufik Hidayat Arena," they said. The Taufik Hidayat Arena that is now still under construction will be the first house of Badminton in the world that is named after and owned by the athlete himself, and exclusively managed by Taufik and his dedicated team. The arena is located at Ciracas, East Jakarta, nearby Taufik's young neighborhood while he joined PBSI.(*)