My friend Shahlyla was all about girl power

Shahlyla was a warrior on and off the field, a down-to-earth personality and a genuinely caring friend.
 
She was raw talent! Shahlyla was born with the football skills that she showcased nationally and internationally. No one, at least nobody in Pakistan at the time could have trained her to reach the calibre at such a young age.
 
Rubina Irfan, the Director of Pakistan Women’s team, and proud mother of Shahlyla, often praised her daughter’s game by saying “look at her play, you can’t tell that’s a girl playing. She plays like a boy”
 
Shahlyla was incredibly passionate about fitness and football. She would be drenched in sweat most days, training for hours in the scorching sun. She wanted to be the best, and worked for it day in and day out.  She’d often adorably remark that “If I keep training, I get tanned. But if I don’t train, I get chubby. Why can’t I be both fair and fit?”
 
Shahlyla possessed unmatched ability as a young striker who could shoot the football from any position off the field and score incredible goals.  She had pace, she had stamina, and she definitely had the explosive shooting power to rack goals against any opponent she faced.  I witnessed and photographed her destroying decent teams like they were no competition — Shahlyla was a class apart.
 
Shahlyla was a girl nobody could mess with; she did not need anybody to help look out for her. I remember a few occasions when some by-standers would try to sneak photos of her while we would be training, and she’d blast them yelling “tumhare ghar maa behn nahi? Tum jese log ki waja se larkian ghar se nai nikalti” (Don’t you have a mother/sister at home? It’s because of people like you that girls are reluctant to step outside their home).
 
‘Shell’ was the nickname she was referred by teammates, siblings, family and pretty much everyone.
 
Shell despised how in our society girls were reluctant to pursue their passion and often spoke about it in interviews with magazines, to promote ‘girl power’. So that other girls would also push to accomplish their goals. Shahlyla was in the truest sense an empowered girl, and a role model to girls across Pakistan, who wished to be a star like her.
 
Shell may have been a fierce personality on the football pitch, but in real life she was an incredibly sweet and gentle soul. She would warmly greet and respect everyone around including domestic staff, a habit of hers that always stood out—knowing her star status—her friendly nature left me in awe. 
She equally loved tea and sleep, defying all logic; she was capable of consuming four cups of tea within four hours that we spent editing her football videos together. And then right after it she would go home and sleep for almost two days straight.
 
Shahlyla was a genuine friend, she’d lend money to any friend in need without any questions. She would stay concerned about her friends and follow up on how they have been doing.
 
I feel honoured that I was able to mentor her with the issues she faced in football, fitness and life in general.  Although I wasn’t the only one giving out advices during our everyday discussions— I cherish how she offered me valuable wisdom and advice on matters that I had no answers for. Shell was quite mature for her age.
 
Last year, Shahlyla reached out to me and I helped her train and make a football video for her university application. She was such a quick learner; it only took few minutes for her to pick up on any difficult new skill and go on to perfect it and add to her game. She was a natural.
 
She was a friend I felt extremely proud of, and although the nation produced just one Shahlyla, I hope her legacy inspires many more.