In 2008, Safina Madhani of Kenya placed first in Women’s Squash at the Golden Jubilee Games, a global Ismaili sports festival held in Nairobi. The experience launched her on the path to representing her country at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.
Safina Madhani represented Kenya in Women’s Squash at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Photo: Courtesy of Safina Madhani
The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi would be the first time that Kenyan women were represented in squash, and I was determined to be part of the team.
My game certainly couldn’t be compared to that of Nicole David, the stoic Malaysian who has ranked first in the world among female squash players for five years running. Nevertheless, I am very passionate about the game of squash.
I have been playing the game for over a decade now. Professionally, I am a lawyer, but I enjoy playing squash after a tough day’s work at the Nairobi law firm where I work. The sport is challenging and requires quick reflexes, focus, flexibility and a degree of endurance. I started playing competitively in 2008 after my win at the Golden Jubilee Games that were held in Nairobi.
Making the national team was certainly no walk in the park. It took a relentless four months of intensive training, during which I only allowed myself to rest on Sundays. Training also required discipline, forcing me to find that balance between the sport, my professional, social and family life. However, the hard work eventually paid off and I represented Kenya at the Commonwealth Games as the first seed; a truly wonderful experience that will be etched in my memory forever.
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Filed under: Ismailis, Kenya, Muslim Women Tagged: | India, Ismailis, Kenya, Muslim Women, Sports
