Not too long ago, the National Women’s Basketball Championship of 2023 was announced with the purpose of showcasing the incredible talent that goes unrecognised in the country. Women are grossly under-represented in sports in Pakistan and the initial fear with this championship was that the initiative would get lost in the planning stage. Fortunately, the authorities have proved their commitment since now, draws are being decided for the upcoming competition. The hope is that this becomes a regular feature, and that more female athletes are given a platform to display their skills.
The national championship is being held under the supervision of the Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) and the Karachi Basketball Association (KBBA) and is expected to take place from June 12 to 17 at the Siddique Memon Sports Complex in Karachi. These authorities planned to create draws on June 3rd, and like clockwork, the process has been completed. There are at least 12 teams that will be participating, and there is potential for more to be incorporated into the games. Very evidently so, a very clear framework has been created for this championship and all authorities seem to be taking the task seriously. If they are successful, this model can be replicated in the future and incorporate more teams than ever before.
Unfortunately, it seems as though the area that could be improved is advertisement. Barely anyone in the country is aware that this championship is taking place and regrettably so. Both provincial and federal governments should market this initiative so that more women can be encouraged to participate. And if not this, then at least through an effective marketing campaign, more women in the country would be made aware of the opportunities that the government is extending to female athletes. Even more than that, it will expose the country to the several other sports beyond football and cricket that deserve our attention. Basketball could just be the tip of the iceberg; we could very well create a culture through which tennis, squash, sprinting, judo, mixed martial arts and more sports could become popular in the country.