In another feature on our Dreamers series, we catch up with Furqan Ahmad, a young athlete who shares the story of playing football in Charsadda, Pakistan to hear about the state of the game and his journey in the game.
Tell me a little bit about yourself?
My name is Furqan Ahmad and I play football in Charsadda, where I’m from, which is a town in Pakistan.
How did you become interested in football?
In our country cricket is a very dominant sport so like other guys I also played cricket in my town. One day one of my cousins told me to watch football and when I watched Ronaldo, I was really impressed by him and I decided to play football in Charsadda from that day onwards.
What position do you play and which do you prefer?
I play at forward and attacking midfield positions because I like to score goals for my team to win the game.
What is your training schedule like? Do you practice every day?
My training schedule is on a regular basis. I spend most of my time in training. I do training twice a day, in the morning and afternoon.
What do you think we need to do to increase football interest in Pakistan?
Our media can play a vital in the promotion and increasing football interest in Pakistan. Different types of media should introduce talented players and should demand the government about their needs.
Who is your favourite football player and why?
It is obviously Cristiano Ronaldo because he is the best player that I have ever seen. He plays the game differently and smoothly relative to other players.
And your favourite team?
My favourite team is Portugal. Portuguese players are very hardworking and Ronaldo also belongs to Portugal, which makes it my team of choice
What was your proudest achievement?
My proudest achievement was when I was selected in the under 23 team of the district at the age of 17. I had really struggled hard, so I was feeling very proud.
What it is like to play with Wadan [Durrani]? How was your experience?
It was a very good experience playing with Wadan. We have been playing together for over 3 years now. and have shared our sorrows, failures, happiness, and wins.
What do you do outside of football?
I listen to music, enjoy small gatherings sometimes with friends and I also watch football videos to improve my game.
Is football watched or played regularly in your village?
Football is played a bit far from our town, so we go there to practice but the facilities are not provided to the players.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I see myself in the national team because I’m training hard for it and it’s my dream to play in the national team.
Any other thoughts/comments?
At last, I would say that the government should focus on football too because football is not given the facilities as compare to cricket and Pakistan is full of football talent.
