- GUANGZHOU, China: Back home, the Pakistani women’s cricket team is anonymous, especially compared with their illustrious male counterparts.
But after their gold medal triumph at the Asian Games, the girls in green were basking in the spotlight for a change.
It was Pakistan’s first Asian Games gold medal in eight years — a milestone that supporters say points to the need for more education and opportunities in sports for women in Muslim countries.
In parts of the continent, playing sports is often considered inappropriate for women and out of step with traditional gender roles. Consequently, resources for coaching, training and competition generally lag behind the funding set aside for male athletes.
