All of 22 and she has a job that might even prove heavy for the likes of Jose Mourinho or Louis van Gaal. Hailing from Pakistan's tribal province of Balochistan, Raheela Zarmeen, the young but determined manager of the country's women's football team, is on a mission to break the age-old stereotypes.
In a country where largely women are repressed and kept under check, Raheela has chosen the hard path to success - taking up football as a profession.
In a free-wheeling interview with IBNLive, Raheela opened up about the struggles she has to face, her experience of being a woman sportsperson in Pakistan, her aim of inspiring more women to take up the sport, future aspirations and her excitement of playing in India.
At 22, you are the manager of Pakistan's national women's football team. Tell us something about your incredible journey.
Belonging to a tribal culture area of Pakistan, it was never easy to play football but I was articulate about my passion and had to take the initiative to break the stereotype and develop the game. It wouldn't have been easy without my parents' support and my coach's guidance. I believe nothing is impossible. You just need work hard and have a goal to complete.
How is it for you to manage the team at such an early age? What encourages you?
I believe in myself and my abilities to be successful and today's youth is tomorrow's future. As a young manager, I believe it is much easier to understand the players' mentality and starting at a young age means that I can serve my country for a long period.
What made you take up the role of a football manager and what kind of a role your family played in your decision? Were they supportive?
Today, the wide sports sector is expanding and developing and is becoming more influential in our lives. Football being the most popular sport in the world, being played in 208 countries and developing rapidly, the increase in popularity and accessibility has had an effect on my interest. It's more than a dream if you can turn your passion into profession, and that's what I did. I combined both of them and became the manager.
My parents have been always supportive and without their support I don't think I would have been where I am today.
Did you face any obstacle in your journey as we know that being a female sportswoman in South-East Asian countries like India and Pakistan is not easy? If yes, how did you manage to cope up?
I had, I am and I think I will be facing a lot of obstacles but my aim is very articulate and I'm focused about what I have to do and how I am going to cross all barriers.
Tell us something about your experience of being a female football manager or in fact being a woman who is associated with sports in Pakistan.
Well, football is in a developing stage in Pakistan and needs dramatic changes to get to the international level. People really get surprised that Pakistan has a women's team. Few support us while a few criticize. Those who support us, I'm thankful to them and those who criticize, their criticism make us strong. Hopefully in the future the nation would be proud of us.
What kind of support you get from the government in terms of logistics, technical and monetary aspect?
Well, whatever support we are receiving from the government is not enough. Women sports need more attention and support so we can develop to a certain level.
We need more financial support along with much more of resources. The government, along with the federation, needs to give women football more exposure locally and internationally.
I believe we work as hard as men do and we need to be treated much better than we are being at the moment.
In your opinion, how is a female sportsperson treated in Pakistan?
We deserve to be treated equally. Being a female sports person, I work out and train with guys and I push myself way harder than they do. Yeah they might be stronger, but I know I work harder than any other guy. I don't know any other guy who would give up his social life to do what I do.
Women are just as good as men in every way. It's just a different gender. To those of you out there who will say that men deserve more, you are sexist. I would just say treat others as you would like to be treated.
We all know that India and Pakistan are two cricket-crazy countries. So how difficult it has been for you to promote a sport like football in women?
Well, it was not easy. I would give this credit to our federation, especially the Chairperson of Women Committee and President of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), to promote women's football in Pakistan. Without their hard work and struggle, we wouldn't have reached where we are today.
It was their guidance and support so I could move forward. They always appreciated whatever I did to promote this sport. Now it's the starting and hopefully in future people in Pakistan would support football as they support cricket now.
What are your aspirations? Are you looking to play a bigger role in AFC or FIFA?
Football is my passion and I want to be a part of it till the end of my life. Development of women in sports is my aim. So hopefully in few years I look myself somewhere in FIFA or AFC so that I can develop the game in a wider angle.
What would you do to encourage more women to take up the sport?
I would make my own football academy, which would encourage girls of every age to take part in domestic and international football arena. My dream is to create footballers for my country, those players who would just play the game of football and have passion to learn not to earn. That's how I believe women would be treated equal to men and would develop in sports.
Lastly, you will be travelling to India for the SAAF Cup next year. How do you look forward to it?
It would be a great exposure for me and my team not only for participating in the SAFF Cup but also that we would be playing on the Indian soil.
I hope that football presents a positive image of my country in India, that we are not bad people but actually we are one living in two different countries. The Indian national women's team is the champion for the last three SAFF Cups. So obviously India has a better level of football and is the toughest team in South Asia, whereas women's football is just a 10-year-old kid in Pakistan.
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