Diagnosed with polio as a baby and raised in a conservative Pashtun community, Tajmeenah Khan's table tennis career has been marked by overcoming stigma and embracing the support of her family.

Peshawar

Tajmeena Khan, a woman from Peshawar diagnosed with polio as a baby, has faced significant cultural and physical challenges due to her disability. Despite limited support from government and institutions, she has found strength through her family's encouragement and her passion for table tennis.

Khan has achieved national success in table tennis, but struggles with accessibility and lack of resources hinder her ability to compete internationally. Her coach believes that with more support and practice, she could represent Pakistan in the Paralympics, highlighting the need for greater assistance for polio survivors in the country.

Living with polio: A Pashtun woman's table tennis journey

Sorry, I said it stupidly, but that's how it is. I am from Patan and I know how our family thinks and how it is. I would like to say to the people of Patan that they should support their children. Whether it's normal or special, they should support them. And support is something that gives you a lot of strength. We are sitting at home and we get mentally disturbed, we get mentally ill, that I am an ACU, I can't do this, I can't do that. Why can't I do it? If God has given us one attribute, He has given us ten more. So we should support them. When Tajmeena Khan was a baby, she was diagnosed with polio, an incurable disease that can cause lifelong disability. You must know that polio is not accepted in the culture of Patan. They don't give polio, they don't even give it to children. So there are a lot of problems. As I grow older, there are more problems. You will see how difficult it is for a wheelchair user. My brother supports me a lot. He is a very good person. My brother supports me a lot, he helps me with household chores. He supports me outside as well. He supports me the most in the game and helps me with household chores. We have faced a lot of difficulties. People from the community said, where do you sell this? Why do you sell it? But we didn't see all of this. Because we are from Pukhtunkar. That's why people used to talk to us, but we didn't even think about it. We took it to the stadium. There was a lot of pain before, but now it's gone. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries that still report new polio cases. Pakistan's government spends a lot of effort driving nationwide vaccination campaigns, but support for polio survivors is limited. The bill for these things has been passed in Pakistan, but no one is acting on it. I have been to the metro a couple of times. There is space in the metro, but the people who are sitting there won't allow us to use the wheelchair. They don't allow us to use the wheelchair. For Tajmeena Khan, mobility is a daily challenge. She often relies on her nephew to help her reach the training ground. There is no support from the government. There is no support from the institutions either. If the coach supports her, what will happen to the individual? Despite winning national competitions, Tajmeena Khan struggles to compete internationally. Her coach believes with more support and practice, Tajmeena Khan can aim to represent Pakistan in the Paralympics. Definitely she needs support. She needs lots of participation because she has potential. You know, in just two years, she's winning a national tournament. I think with a bit more practice, she can win a national medal as well.

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