Ready to provide technical assistance to Pakistan women: FIFA referee [The Nation]

LAHORE   –       FIFA certified female football referee Akhona Makalima has said that she is keen to provide technical assistance to Pakistan women, transforming them into professional football referees.

The FIFA referee has been in Pakistan on a special invitation of Galaxy Sports Academy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rabia Qadir and Punjab University Director Sports Tahira Salim.

Addressing a press conference here at the SJAL Office on Monday, the visiting FIFA certified female football referee, who belongs to South Africa, said that there is a dire need to create awareness and passion among all the females attached with sports to come forward as technical officials as well, as it can help them brighten their future.

She said: “The problems and issues being faced by women in Pakistan and South Africa are almost the same. But in modern era, we can see a clear increase in the number of sports women in both the countries. I am here as part of the global sports monitoring programme and I will be glad to guide the sports women in Pakistan in the best possible manner.”

Galaxy Sports CEO Rabia Qadir thanked visiting FIFA certified female football referee Akhona Makalima and hoped that such visits of high-profile ladies in the country will surely help our sports women learn the ways of improving their life style by joining the technical fields of the sports at higher level.”

Punjab University Director Sports Tahira Salim said that her department is giving every possible facility of international level to the sports persons. “The development of female sports is not possible without the collaborating of Punjab University,” she added.

Later, accompanied by Galaxy Sports President Mohammad Babar and CEO Rabia Qadir, Makalima also called on Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr M Niaz Akhtar.

Published in The Nation, 3 December 2019