Sana Mahmud is a national female sports figure of Pakistan who has contributed significantly in terms of women empowerment and women athletics. She is a Fulbright alumna and former Captain of the Pakistan National Women’s Football & Basketball teams. She has received an honorary position in the Islamabad Basketball Association for helping to organize and develop women’s and youth basketball and is currently working as the Project Officer at Right to Play.
In 2019, Sana won an Alumni Small Grant (ASG), jointly administered by the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) and the U.S. Mission in Pakistan, with which she implemented a project titled ‘We Got Game’, an initiative for women and youth basketball development. The three major activities conducted under this project included:
- Girls’ Leadership and Basketball Camp
A trainer manual for 3-day Leadership Camp which focused on building basketball fundamentals and leadership competency. The camp included game-based activities to focus on leadership competencies, self-reflection, exposure visits, basketball fundamentals, coach ethics and special sessions on harassment and safeguarding. These sessions took place at the Islamabad Sports Complex and the Helen Keller Center. It trained 20 female basketball players on enhanced leadership skills.
2. Women’s Basketball 3v3 Cup
The Women’s Basketball 3v3 Cup brought together 8 teams from Islamabad that were coached and trained by 20 young female leaders of the Leadership Camp. The tournament was played on 3v3 format and was organized with the help of the Islamabad Basketball Association. These sessions followed important themes targeting social issues such as menstrual health management and safety from harassment to raise awareness and ensure that all participants internalized positive messages while staying game in the basketball courts. The Cup served as an opportunity to players to become part of a larger network of female basketball players in the capital.
3. Mini Basketball Weekend Camp: Jamboree
This entailed a pilot curriculum for a Mini Basketball Camp Jamboree, which after its success, is now being developed into a larger 5-year development plan and presented to the Federation. This event was a 2-day camp followed by 1-day Jamboree Festival, that encouraged participants to indulge in a 1.5-hour session on basketball fundamentals and other team-building games. The Jamboree Festival project brought together nearly 100 children through basketball games and drills, enabling them to be young leaders who will play an instrumental part in creating awareness and building partnerships through sports in the future. Civil society organizations, PUAN alumni, media, diplomatic community and other stakeholders were invited to promote the cause.
Sport and recreational activities positively impact physical and mental well-being, while allowing individuals to come together and network. Sana chose women’s sports for her ASG project, not only because of her expertise and talent but with the aim to physically polish, promote and develop women in athletic activities, particularly basketball, by empowering young leaders, to act and take ownership within their communities. Women in Pakistan are generally discouraged from taking part in activities that are seen as ‘male only’. Sana’s ASG utilized the expertise and volunteer spirit of young sports leaders with the main aim to pave a way for more girls to actively take part in outdoor activities, not only for personal health and development but also, to create support and acceptance for women as athletes in Pakistan.
