KARACHi Sprinter Naveed Halai has forgotten what it’s like to race in shorts.

The last time was 1979. Then Islamic fundamentalists turned their attention to women’s sports and it’s been track suits ever since.

The election of Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister in 1988 sparked hopes that striations on women’s athletics would be loosened but little change has come.

Despite being allowed to participate in the South Asian Federation Games field hockey and track and field events not to mention swimming and gymnastics, baggy track suits are required for most Sports.

So, despite being a competitive runner, she won a bronze medal in the recent games the 24 year old Ms Halai is hanging up her cleats.

‘I’m fed up,” she said during an interview at Karachi’s National Sports Training and Coaching Center. I’ve given a lot to sport and Bot little in return.”

Others, including Naushaba Chan, considered Pakistan’s best female athlete are joining her.

Before the rule of Gen Mohammad Zia UI-Hag they ran in shorts and played field hockey in skirts.

Then Zia instituted a program called “Islamisation” and changes in women’s sports began.

According to a fundamentalist Interpretation of Islam, women should not venture outside or far outside the house. They also should cover their bodies from head to toe,

Zia banned men from watching certain women’s sports, especially the ones with the most movement or the most exposed skin. Table tennis for example, ws open to male viewers but not running races, badminton also passed the test because it is played inside.

After the election of the western educated Ms Bhutto later that year, some changes occurred Women were allowed to take part in the ‘South Asian Federation Games in Islamabad) The Prime Minister also appointed a relative liberal Brig Zaffar Hayat to head the Pakistan Sports Board.

Hayat, a former field hockey star, said his main goal is to see women take part in the Asian Games in Beijing later this year.

“If not, I will quit,” he said.

But he has already come up against strong opposition, including threatening phone calls and the criticism of his mullah at the mosque where he prays.

Several conservative members of the National Assembly have also voiced opposition to the move. With Ms Bhutto hold on power still tenuous many think the government would not want to risk a political crisis over women’s sports.

Hayat says the root of the fundamentalist opposition to women’s Sports is sex.

“We are so sexually frustrated in Pakistan,” he said with a booming laugh. “Whenever a Pakistani man sees a little skin, he goes crazy in his heart. We are afraid of this feeling and we blame women for it. ’The result has been a backlash against women’s sports.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 30, 1990