Sana Bahadar: Strong And Silent
Young female squash players in Pakistan have plenty of hurdles to overcome en route to success — but to be deaf and mute adds layers of challenge and complexity that would put many off even trying.
Despite her severe communication problems, 19-year-old Sana Bahadar from Peshawar has already racked up a long list of national titles, was ranked no.1 in every junior age group and was recently selected to represent Pakistan at April’s World U23 Championships in Karachi.
Her father Sher Bahadar, her team of coaches and a famous mentor, Qamar Zaman, have formed a support network around her, finding their own ways to communicate and gradually building her confidence.
Sana’s daily experience since birth is complete silence and an inability to communicate via speech. She attended a special school for children with disabilities and couldn’t read and write until she was 15. Her father admits to having been “extremely worried about her future.”
In 2016, when Sana was 10 years old, an ex-national hockey coach called Rauf Khan visited her school and encouraged her father to get her into sport. He introduced Sher and Sana to Zaman — the legendary former world no.1 and British Open champion and now Vice-President of the Pakistan Squash Federation — who took Sana under his wing….
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