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Updated 19 Feb, 2021

Mountain biker and adventure athlete Samar Khan started a much needed conversation on the treatment of athletes in Pakistan after she called out the host of a local TV show for not treating her with respect.

To start with, everyone knows if you are a Pakistani athlete who isn't a member of the national cricket team, you aren't given even a fraction of the respect and admiration you deserve. If you're a woman athlete cut that respect in half.

Khan is a mountain biker and extreme sports athlete. She's also the first Pakistani to summit Mount Kilimanjaro and the Biafo Glaciers in the Karakoram Range on a bike.

She recently posted a video on Twitter in which she spoke about her experience being interviewed on a TV show.

In her caption for the post she revealed some of the conversation with the show's host including where he reduced her achievements to "she rides in all the country". He didn't do the same for the male guest, who got a complete introduction.

Khan didn't name the talk show host or the channel but people definitely wanted her to name and shame.

"The host didn't know my name or profile but they wanted me on their show. I just participated in a race where the athletes were put together in one room like farm animals but the people who were put up in top notch facilities near the slopes were ones who had large fan followings on social media," she said in the video.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

"And this isn't the first time. In the past four to five years it has happened often and I'm not the first athlete. It’s really common that athlete’s races or our shows are are hijacked by people who have a larger fan following on social media," she said.

"I just have one message — if fan following is everything, then send these so-called influencers to championships, to the Olympics so they can get gold medals for you, put them in parliament so that they can make decisions for you just because they have more followers. Call them on TV shows as analysts so they can talk about gender discrimination, law and order, climate change and solve these issues, because with their rising followers, in two days they also get knowledge and wisdom.

"They get degrees from big universities and experience in every professional field. Pakistan will really prosper, because with our priorities as they are, cheap entertainment is everything and fan following is everything, no?" she asked.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

"[I have] no more tolerance for bulls**t after going through discrimination all these years!" she wrote in an Instagram post. "When international channels/journalists can research about our profiles before calling us on TV shows or sports programmes, then anyone can do it," she wrote. And she's absolutely right. Interviewing someone without reading up about them first is unprofessional and disrespectful.

This isn't the first time Khan has spoken about the mistreatment of athletes in the country. She has been vocal about the need to support and promote less popular sports.

Actor Yasir Hussain also defended her on his Instagram Stories.

Photo: Yasir Hussain/Instagram Stories via The Express Tribune
Photo: Yasir Hussain/Instagram Stories via The Express Tribune

They must have asked some stupid questions, he wrote. "Forget it Samar Khan, you keep doing your work. You are our pride," he wrote.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

And she is! Khan is a total badass. She bikes, snowboards and does MMA. She has also been featured in international campaigns representing Pakistan as an athlete.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

She has participated in lots of races and has also been spreading awareness about extreme sports in Pakistan.

In 2017 she became the first Pakistani to climb the 6,250-metre Burbucho peak in Shigar district. After her climb, the peak was named the ‘Samar Peak’. In 2016 she became the first woman to have cycled on the 4,500-metre Biafo Glacier in the Karakoram Range.

Underrepresentation of women athletes and athletes from lesser known sports is an issue that has been around for a long time.

The real question is why don't we appreciate incredible Pakistanis when they're right in front of us? Why does it take some terrible tragedy or them being highlighted in the international media for us to wake up and appreciate how amazing they are?

Khan is right when she says people appreciate individuals with large fan followings more than others. That's not to hate on influencers or content creators, but there are a lot other people in Pakistan to be proud of too.

Comments

Rizwan Feb 19, 2021 12:52pm
PEMRA , take up the issue and penalize a channel full of pseudo-intellectuals! Show them how to treat any person ,more so a sportsperson with respect!
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Chrís Dăn Feb 19, 2021 01:01pm
Keep it up and keep it going,young lady. Do not feel let down by our patrarchial mentality. It will stay . You with your will power and perseverance need to move on and leave them behind somewhere in their self-created mist of hollow social narcissism. Never give up. You deserve to win.
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Mehreen Chandan Feb 19, 2021 01:06pm
Dear Samar, You are my and my daughters' superhero. We are proud to have you as an athlete in this country and proud that you represent us. Lots of love, respect, and good wishes. Kind regards, Mehreen
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Zak Feb 19, 2021 01:37pm
Khan is a mountain biker and extreme sports athlete. She's also the first Pakistani to summit Mount Kilimanjaro and the Biafo Glaciers in the Karakoram Range on a bike. Samar, whole of Pakistan is in admiration of you, do not let one illiterate unprofessional interviewer put you off. The nation is supporting you, you are an inspiration to all.
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Zarak Feb 19, 2021 01:54pm
kudos to you sis
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Boz Feb 19, 2021 02:14pm
I'm sorry, Samar is not a "professional athlete" by any stretch of the word. Her cycling "accomplishments" are equivalent to weekend rides of many enthusiasts who would not dare consider themselves "professional athletes". She should not feel so entitled to having her accomplishments celebrated by all, just because she is fortunate enough to have the means to publicize herself (for doing what exactly?)
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Boz Feb 19, 2021 02:15pm
Also she is NOT the first Pakistani to summit Kiliminjaro, just happened to be the first one to claim it. Kili is a trekking mountain and noone in their rigt mind wold even try to claim that as tens of thousands summit the mountain every year.
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Paddy Feb 19, 2021 02:35pm
It is just not athletes being disrespect. Basically there is no value for life in pakistan.
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IKL Feb 19, 2021 02:36pm
"The real question is why don't we appreciate incredible Pakistanis when they're right in front of us? " Good point made - so Dawn, please accept the challenge and feature one "unknown PK" achiever (someone not in a "Red Bull Team" or with a "Brand Sponsorship" - but someone of international top 50 ranking in all walks of life - every day as a feature. After 3 years we will then have 1000 great role models for our children.
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Ali Vazir Feb 19, 2021 04:12pm
Yes Samar, keep talking about it. But for the sake of improvement. Nor get discouraged neither negative. And yes, you and your likes, who are THE real ATHLETES are our PRIDE. Yes, Pakistan is a country with overwhelming majority of uneducated, unguided people. Let us be the torch-bearers and guide them to the right path.
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Amer mahmood Feb 19, 2021 04:29pm
Totally unacceptable! The show show host must be named and shamed and taken off the show. Bravo to Ms Khan. Just amazing your achievements especially in a medievmale dominated society. Full of idiots
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Amer mahmood Feb 19, 2021 04:30pm
Amazing bravo ms khan
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MG Feb 19, 2021 04:31pm
She is 100% correct
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mansoor Feb 19, 2021 04:59pm
Our road to civilization is uphill, tortuous and dangerous. Keep it up lady, respect.
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Ibrahim S Feb 19, 2021 05:01pm
I wish we learn the words “self respect”
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Hyra Feb 19, 2021 05:49pm
She is spot on... long way to go girl. Dont loose ur heart
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Asim Feb 19, 2021 06:43pm
She is very right
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Browngirl Feb 19, 2021 07:08pm
That spidy throat tattoo is killing your look girl. But, keep up biking; you're gold there.
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LgbtqX Feb 19, 2021 07:47pm
Does she have family in China.
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Viq saad Feb 19, 2021 08:12pm
Show anchor obviously has no professional training.
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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Feb 19, 2021 08:40pm
This shows the standard of our talk shows. Almost all of them were selected without merit.
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Tea is Fantastic !!! Feb 20, 2021 02:13am
@Paddy. Yes, for sure, in your incredible India, everything is just honky dory !!!!
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John Feb 20, 2021 08:32am
She should move to china or turkey
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Total Disctance Feb 20, 2021 10:22am
she is as fake as the TV anchors and channels she is calling out
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Pak Patriot Feb 20, 2021 10:39am
Samar Khan for the educated class of Pakistanis you are a hero and a shining star. The show interviewer was obviously not a Professional at his job, thus unprepared. It is for the TV channel to hold him accountable for his inefficiency and incompetence and PEMRA to hold the TV channel to " Up their standards and have zero tolerance for not demonstrating equal respect for ALL athletes ".
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jaredlee007 Feb 20, 2021 07:43pm
Samar should be more humble. The TV anchor should be investigated for how he received training for conducting interviews. Many TV anchors in Pakistan nowadays do not think even after speaking, which is very unprofessional. And these TV anchors also do not have enough patience to first listen to interviewees and then speak.
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Zygum Feb 21, 2021 09:22am
No discrimination on social Media, all guestsshould be treated respectfully
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Salman Feb 21, 2021 06:37pm
Keep going. No time to stop and respond to every loser you meet on your way to the top.
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oldhabibian Feb 24, 2021 11:04am
Now who says Pakistani women need to be liberated. Their destiny is in their own hands. Just get them educated! Young girls like Samar are the light bearers of their generation and our pride and joy.
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