By Chris McAsey
An AFL Asia Development Grant has helped to provide a platform for young female athletes in Pakistan to showcase their talent on the national stage.
The first AFL Pakistan Girls Tournament was held from 7 – 9 February in Islamabad as part of an ongoing program to empower women in sports.
Seventy-five girls formed five teams – the Dolphins, Lions, Hawks, Dragons and Kangaroos – after a selection campaign held throughout Pakistan with the support of local clubs.
Five teams competed in the AFL Pakistan Girls Tournament 2025
Director of AFL Pakistan Game Development Abdul Jabbar Chaudrey said the tournament aimed to inspire girls from different walks of life to participate in AFL.
‘Girls are enjoying the sport and are eager to learn more,’ he said.
‘The shape of the ball is new to many of them, which makes them more interested!’
‘Next on our agenda is reaching out to schools to hold intra school competitions in Islamabad and then expand to Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Karachi and Gilgit.’
The tournament gave girls the opportunity to showcase their talent on the national stage.
Rigorous AFL Asia Cup selection process sparks success
The AFL Asia development grant also facilitated a rigorous selection process for teams to represent Pakistan at the inaugural AFL Asia Cup in Vietnam last December.
Pakistan sent a strong and committed men’s team to Vietnam that put in outstanding performances across the tournament.
After big wins on the opening day against Laos and Thailand, Pakistan narrowly lost to eventual Grand Finalists Japan (60 – 70) and Cambodia (54 – 58) on day two, just missing the semi-final round and finishing sixth overall.
Rashid Ali was a standout player for Pakistan at the AFL Asia Cup.
The matches against Japan and Cambodia were hard fought and could have gone Pakistan’s way with a little more accuracy in front of goal.
Abdul Jabbar Chaudrey said the national team selection process stretched over a three month period after 200 male and female players appeared on day one of the trials.
‘After fitness and skills evaluation, 50 male and 50 female athletes were shortlisted to train with us for three months to compete for a final squad of 20.’
The team for the AFL Asia Cup was selected after a rigorous process to identify talent across Pakistan.
‘Two weeks before the tournament, our head coach Michael Gallus and four Pakistani coaches conducted practice matches to select the final 20 for the men’s and women’s teams.’
Unfortunately, the women’s team eventually had to withdraw from the AFL Asia Cup due to financial constraints. But momentum from success at the AFL Asia Cup and the 2023 AFL Asian Championships – where Pakistan won the men’s Division 3 title and the women’s team won their first ever international match – is driving participation and recognition in Pakistan.
AFL in Pakistan has garnered extensive media attention recently, with TV and print coverage of the AFL Asia Cup, as well as training and selection sessions.
‘Our president, coaches, trainers and players were all given air time,’ Abdul Jabbar Chaudrey said. ‘Our officials and players were invited by news channels for their sports shows and the AFL Pakistan Girls Tournament was also extensively covered by media.’
Establishing a sports federation for AFL recognised by the Government Sports Board is in process, which will provide access to government facilities and permissions to organise domestic leagues.
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