Weekly News Update (25 July-30 July’21)
The Tokyo Olympics continue in full swing, however, one proud moment for Pakistan was when Talha Talib (a weightlifter from Gujranwala) came fifth in the Tokyo Games 2020. But that’s not all that happened this week. Want to know more? Read below:
Taking A Stand Against The Sexualization of Women In Sports
With an increasing number of sexual abuse cases, Germany initiated to introduce new unitards which were sleeveless but had full legs covered for their female gymnasts at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in April (BBC). Later, for the Tokyo Olympics, the team disclosed their uniforms for the Tokyo Games at a practice session on Thursday.
The German gymnast, Sarah Voss hopes to be an inspiration for others. She said:
“We hope gymnasts uncomfortable in the usual outfits will feel emboldened to follow our example,” said Voss.
“We women all want to feel good in our skin. In the sport of gymnastics it gets harder and harder as you grow out of your child’s body. As a little girl I didn’t see the tight gym outfits as such a big deal. But when puberty began, when my period came, I began feeling increasingly uncomfortable.”
Sarah Voss, A german gymnast (Credits: Yahoo Sports)
This is not the only time women have protested in the past week about their outfits and demanded outfits they feel more comfortable in. the Norwegian women’s handball team refused to wear the bikini bottoms mandated by the European Handball Federation. Likewise, a Paralympic athlete called out an official at the English championships for complaining that her shorts were too revealing.
Talha Talib Makes Pakistan Proud At Tokyo Olympics
Pakistani weightlifter, Talha Talib from Gujranwala made us all proud at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020. He was able to lift a total of 320 kilograms of weight; 150 kilograms in snatch and 170 kilograms in clean and jerk.
However, unfortunately, he was only two kilos short of winning the bronze medal. He came fifth. The bronze medal was won by Marko Zanni of Italy with a total lift of 322 kilograms.
Earlier, Talha Talib had told The Express Tribune that he wanted to win a medal on his Olympic debut. “I am setting my mind to win, whether I am lifting this weight at the Olympics or in an empty room during quarantine, I know I need to be perfect. I’m looking at it as practically as possible, I’m not taking any pressure.”
Talha talib, before leaving for the tokyo olympics (Credits: tribune)
Talha Talib had won the gold medals at the 2020 International Solidarity Weightlifting Championship aggregating 304kg, and that was his last international event before COVID-19. He used to train near a school in Gujranwala for at least six hours a day, without taking a break. We salute his efforts and wish him luck for the future!
Shadab Khan Vows To Set Up A Fund For Pakistan’s Olympic Athletes After Witnessing Talha Talib’s Performance At The Tokyo Olympics 2020
Though Talha Talib was not able to win the medal he surely won many hearts and also managed to impress the cricketer, Shadab Khan, who vowed on Twitter to set up a fund for Pakistan’s Olympic’s athlete in preparation for the next Olympics after seeing Talha Talib’s performance at the Tokyo Olympics.
We hope this turns out to be true and that our underdogs, whose talents remain hidden from the world get an opportunity to showcase what they are truly capable of.
Malala Urges Women To Play Cricket If They Feel Like Doing So!
The Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai, said in an interview with Sky Sports that women should not be cast down from playing sports because of their gender.
“Even today, when we see women cricket players playing in this stadium, they are sending a message to all girls out there that they can be in sports, they can be players, they can play any sport they want,”
Malala in a video interview (Credits: SKY sports)
In a forty-eight-minute video message, she encouraged women to do what they want and said that “we are here to support you.” Watch her video message below:
Such a positive message to give indeed! We hope that women get inspired by her and pursue their dreams!
Usman Mukhtar Opens Up About Being Bullied & Harassed
On 27th July, Usman Mukhtar posted on Instagram about being bullied and harassed by a female artist he had worked with back in 2016. In his post, he didn’t name any names but went on to describe his ordeal, “I have been harassed, blackmailed, bullied online for 1 and a half year by this woman. The harassment was reported to FIA…They investigated the case properly and then finally took her statement. But this person still does not stop!”
He said he wanted to resolve the matter quietly but he can’t remain silent anymore when his character is being constantly maligned and when his family and friends are being targeted with harassment. Moreover, he expressed how this situation has taken a toll on his mental health and his anxiety had peaked. He also expressed frustration that this person didn’t even spare his mother, who has dementia, and claimed that she was in this state because of his neglect.
Many Pakistanis came out in support of him on social media.
We applaud Usman Muktar for coming out with the abuse he is facing and admitting to the toll it is taking on his mental health. Maybe, his actions can urge others in similar abusive situations to take charge and speak up against injustice. If we’ve learnt anything from the current events that have happened in Pakistan, it is to never brush aside instances as being minor inconveniences. If you feel that something is wrong, speak up about it and take relevant measures to safeguard yourself. Not only women, but men are also often victims of abuse and violence and it’s time we stop assuming that men can only be the perpetrators and never the victims.
#NotAllMen Trends On Twitter
Three women were murdered mercilessly in the past weeks. Justice hashtags flooded social media and many women expressed their tribulations and shared their experiences. There is an uproar demanding justice for these women and a call for making our society a safer place for all. However, the message was overshadowed and the real issue brushed under the rug as it soon fueled the ego and hurt the sentiments of Pakistani men.
Soon #NotAllMen trended on Twitter which outraged women who felt it is unfair that at a crucial time like this the attention shifted from the perpetrators and the lack of laws against domestic violence to more trivial issues such as differentiating between “evil men” and those we can “rely on”
Ever since then, Twitter has been inundated with tweets debating this issue with each side sharing their side of the story.
The crux is that, granted we can’t generalize men under one label but as a woman, I wish everyone knew that we are crushed from the inside and feel hollow right now. We feel exposed and vulnerable, prone to any kind of abuse and violence. It’s not that we blame all the men for the evils of society but we wish that they understood that we simply can’t overlook the many times we’ve been stabbed.
Is it so hard to understand our emotions? Why not just sit down and talk to the women in your life and ask them how they feel? Maybe the sorrow and discomfort in their eyes might convey the message even before their words do.
Ali Sadpara’s Body Found By His Son
A few months back the news of Ali Sadpara and accompanying 2 mountaineers, Snorri and Mohr, was trending on the news. Ali was born on February 2, 1976, the self-taught climber hails from a village called Sadpara, near Skardu in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. From a young age, Ali yearned and chased challenging terrains and mountains. Before he knew it, his love for mountain climbing bloomed. He started out as a porter, like many in his village, but soon landed his first proper expedition to K-2 in 2004. Sadpara always had a ‘determined’ streak. No matter what the odds, he was ready for whatever was to come. Even as a mountain climber, he was aware of the obstacles.
Sadpara, along with his son, Sajid, Icelandic mountain climber John Snorri and Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto geared up to climb K2. Sajid started his descent from Bottleneck as his oxygen regulator was not working. The remaining three pushed for the last stretch of the journey to make it to the top. However, on their way back they got lost. The three climbers were seen for the last time on 5th February and numerous rescue operations were conducted to locate them.
After months of finding, Sajid Ali Sadpara finally carried the body of Ali Sadpara from above bottleneck to C-4 and secured a Pakistani Flag there. Our prayers will be forever with the legend and we pray for his departed soul.
To know more about Ali Sadpara read here
Imran Khan’s Statement About Rape On PBSNewsHour
In his two previous interviews, Imran Khan was criticized because of his deeply problematic views on rape which blamed the victim. However, in a recent interview on PBS NewsHour he said:
“Anyone who commits rape, solely and solely, that person is responsible. So let’s be clear about that. No matter whatever — how much ever a woman is provocative or whatever she wears, the person who commits rape, is fully responsible. Never is the victim responsible.”
When the journalist Judy Woodruff asked him about his earlier views and if he believes women are responsible for the rise in the number of rape cases in Pakistan the Prime Minister said:
“My comments were completely taken out of context. They were simply talking about Pakistan society, where we are having a rise, a sharp rise in sex crimes. And sex crime does not include just women. More than rape are child abuse, which is going through the roof.
So my comments were in that context. And it was — I used the word purdah. In Islam, purdah does not mean just clothes. And purdah is not restricted to women only, but that is for men as well. It means bringing the temptation down in a society.”
We are glad that the PM clarified his statement and he hopefully means it with all his heart.
Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi Comes To An End
It was refreshing to see narratives move away from the clichéd romantic meetups and still end on a high note. Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi resisted pandering to popular audience expectations and fall into the love story trap – Jimmy & Sumbul shared a bond deeper than romantic attachment and oh, how blissful was it to witness that on screen. A flawless ending to a carefully tailored tale – and one that touched many hearts!
TV One and The Kashf Foundation deserve a shoutout for giving us a drama that has raised the bar for whatever hits our screens in 2021. Moreover, the team of Amna Mufti & Kashif Nisar gifted us a crime thriller with far-reaching social messages, grey characters that defy judgement and negative characters that elude toxicity and the clichéd display of physical violence to deliver a masterpiece that will stay with us forever. Can it get any better than that?!
And lastly applause for all the wonderful performers – Yumna Zaidi, Wahaj Ali, Naveed Shahzad, Yasra Rizvi, Omair Rana, Noor Ul Hassan, Fajjer Khan, Samiya Mumtaz, Baba Ranjha, Sherwani Saahab, Ikram, Jimmy & Rakhi & Naseem Zehra child actors, the cricket coach & principal, police officers, all deserve special mention. If dramas lead by example, this one was epic storytelling supported by sharply developed characters & mind-blowing performances!
For the full review read here
Laapata Entertains Us With Its First Two Episodes
Laapata’s first two episodes aired this Wednesday and Thursday. It was lighthearted entertainment that grasped the audience’s interest. It stars Ayeza Khan, Sara Khan, Ali Rehman Khan and Gohar Rasheed. We got to see all the actors on the screen except for Gohar and we hope to see him soon. Overall, the drama grasped our interest and we are eagerly waiting to watch the next episodes.
