Pakistani Women Struggle to Get Recognition in the Sport of Tent Pegging

Anum Shakoor and Ayesha Khan continue to encourage women's participation in tent pegging in Pakistan. Their struggle was seen in a traditional competition in Rawalpindi, northern Punjab Province, which was reported by Al Jazeera on May 24 2026. Amid the dominance of male athletes and spectators, they tried to prove that women also have the right to compete and gain recognition.

Building space for female athletes

Shakoor, 30, founded the Bint-e-Zahra Club the previous year after realizing that female athletes were only training and competing through co-ed clubs. This women's club is a place for riders to train and build a community. In a mela in Rawalpindi, the club fielded four athletes, including Eshal Ibrahim, Noor un Nisa Malik and Sehrish Awan.

Mela is a traditional competition event that usually takes place in suburban areas. In this event, the horsemen galloped towards wooden pegs planted in the ground, then tried to lift them using spears. The presence of the women's team attracted the attention of spectators, photographers and video makers who wanted to record their performance.

However, this attention does not always mean support. Fatima Adeel, Ibrahim's mother, accompanied her daughter during the competition because she was worried about her safety in a crowd of men. He also hopes that women who are interested in this sport will be encouraged to develop and get the respect they deserve.

Facing social and cost barriers

Ayesha Khan, 22 years old, started horse riding as a child. At the age of 17, she received encouragement from her father to participate in the women's national team selection. A year later, she became the only girl selected in Pakistan's mixed under-21 age group team and was sent to South Africa to take part in the tournament.

In 2022, Khan led the Pakistan women's team to compete in Jordan against participants from 13 countries. The team took third place. However, according to Khan, the trip was the Pakistan women's team's only participation in an international competition until the time he was interviewed.

He also highlighted the federation's decision to still send men's teams to open competitions. In 2024, Pakistan sent a men's team to an international championship in Jordan, although women are also allowed to take part.

Apart from social barriers, cost is a big challenge. Horse feed costs an average of 30,000 to 35,000 Pakistani rupees per month, not including maintenance and rental costs. A sport horse can also cost around 1,500 US dollars.

Shakoor even missed a number of competitions because he couldn't afford to transport his horse between cities. To take part in the event organized by Samiullah Barsa, his team spent more than 100,000 Pakistani rupees for transportation of five horses, feed and lodging.

Get to know tent pegging

Tent pegging is an equestrian sport that tests a rider's ability to control a horse while using a spear to take on a target on the ground. Athletes must regulate direction, speed and accuracy when approaching the target. This sport requires riding skills, coordination, concentration and courage.

Equal support and recognition

Social media also helps introduce female athletes to the public. Videos of their performances on Instagram and TikTok have racked up millions of views. Khan and Zoya Mir, co-captains of the national tent pegging team, also manage the Equestrians In Green account to share their sporting achievements.

However, this popularity sometimes triggers criticism. Khan once described the negative reactions from a number of senior male riders after videos of women wearing turbans during competitions went viral. Some of them think that the presence of women disrupts the traditions of the sport.

Shakoor continued his struggle. He was once among the last seven participants in the club captain's round in a mela in Jathli, Rawalpindi, although he did not manage to reach the final position. For him, this achievement is still important because it shows that an athlete's skill is not solely determined by gender or the horse used.

Shakoor emphasized that women are not trying to beat men in terms of recognition. They just want to get a fair chance and equal respect in the sport they play.

Source: Al Jazeera, 24 May 2026