“It's an incredibly proud moment for the girls taking part."
A group of British-based girls is flying the flag for Pakistan in their first major international netball tournament.
The Pakistan youth netball team, made up entirely of UK-based players, is competing at the Asian Youth Netball Championship in South Korea.
For many of the girls, it’s not just about the sport, it’s about representing their heritage and encouraging others to do the same.
Sadia Hussain, co-founder of the Pakistan Netball Academy UK, said:
“It’s an incredibly proud moment for the girls taking part.
“Performance netball is one thing, but this is even more special for the girls. It’s a chance to represent themselves, and to represent their roots.”
The journey to this point has been far from smooth.
In 2023, many of the same girls had their international hopes crushed after being blocked from competing in India.
Their then-team, Cosmopolitan Roses Netball, was unable to play in the Asian Netball Championship in Bengaluru after unexplained visa delays by the Indian government.
Now sanctioned by Pakistan Netball to compete under the country’s flag, the girls are finally getting their shot on the court.
The Asian Youth Netball Championship 2025 began on June 27 and will go on until July 4 in Jeonju, South Korea – and there have been no visa issues this time around.
Team captain Sumayya Safdar said: “It was hugely disappointing to miss out on the games in India.
“But it has given us more resolve and determination to perform well, and it’s given us extra months to train and prepare.”
The team is also receiving expert guidance from former England captain Amanda Newton. Newton has medals from both the Commonwealth Games and World Championships and has won domestic titles in the Super League and Super Cup.
She explained: “The girls come from all over the country.
“We have players from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Scotland, so we are only able to train as a team every three weeks or so.
“But the training the girls do either at home, or with their own schools and clubs, has shown a huge level of commitment.”
“And when they’re together, the team spirit is amazing.”
“And they get such confidence and strength from playing with girls who look like they do and share similar faiths and backgrounds.”
Sadia believes that encouraging more young Asian and Muslim girls into sport is key, but says there are still cultural challenges to overcome.
Sadia added: “Barriers around acceptable clothing and cultural and familial uncertainty can put many girls off.”
She co-founded the Pakistan Netball Academy two years ago to help tackle the lack of representation in the sport. The organisation offers support, advice and encouragement to girls who want to pursue netball, regardless of background.
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