Meet Dr. Bakhtawar: the First Visually Impaired Female Archer of Asia
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00:00 Welcome back once again. We will tell you about a game which is used in Mahabharat. It is a proper game. You should have a good aim and sharp eyes.
00:21 We do not have many players in Pakistan. But she is a very brave woman who is blinded by sight. Dr. Bakhtawar Khalid has won a prestigious award in archery.
00:33 She has also won the honour of Pakistan's representative. She has participated in the World Games in Birmingham.
00:41 Dr. Bakhtawar has won the honour of being the first blinded woman in Asia.
00:51 Thank you so much for joining us Dr. Bakhtawar. Tell us when did you become blinded by sight?
00:59 Was it completely blinded? I think I still see a faint glimpse of it. Tell us about yourself.
01:08 Thank you for the introduction. I had a condition of my eyesight at the age of 19. I was doing BDS, Bachelors in Dentistry.
01:23 It is a progressive condition in which your eyesight slowly goes. At that time, I had a condition where I completed my BDS by looking at a written paper.
01:36 But after that, I do not have much eyesight. I use text-to-speech software and use such devices that empower us.
01:47 I can work normally like a normal person. But in eyesight, I have a loss of central vision and I see from the side.
01:56 For example, if you put a camera in front of me, I cannot see the camera, but I can see the tables and chairs on my side.
02:06 So, it is like a curtain. Did it take you time to adjust to this situation?
02:12 Yes, it has been 10 years since I have been dealing with this situation. It took me a lot of time. Every day is a struggle and you are learning something new every day.
02:26 Dr. Bakhtawar, tell us one thing that archery is a different thing. In one thing, your life is affected.
02:34 In another, you have an expertise in a game that even a normal person cannot become an expert in. How did it happen?
02:42 I was working in an NGO and I met some people there who played this game, Nabeena Afraad.
02:51 I was very impressed that Nabeena Afraad is doing archery. So, let me see how it is done.
02:58 Secondly, I always wanted to represent an active lifestyle for a visually impaired person.
03:06 Usually, people say that if you have lost your vision, you should sit down or reduce your activity.
03:14 So, to increase the activity, I saw that this is a very good sport in which you meet the community,
03:22 you meet archers and you showcase yourself that you can also play and introduce yourself to the sports community.
03:34 This was a big benefit.
03:37 Dr. Bakhtawar, you took part in the World Games and represented Pakistan.
03:42 How did you practice and maintain your focus? Please tell us how you participated there.
03:52 Let me explain a little bit about the game.
03:56 The target that we have to aim at is at a distance of 30 meters.
04:03 If a person who cannot see can't see, how does he do it? He has a command hand and a tactile device with him.
04:14 It is called a viewfinder. Tactile means that you can feel it.
04:18 You touch the device with your command hand. The device tells you the height and direction of the target.
04:30 The target is at a distance of 30 meters.
04:34 You touch the device with your command hand and then you pull the string and draw.
04:42 This is great.
04:44 Dr. Bakhtawar, may Allah give you more success.
04:47 Thank you so much for being with us.
04:49 She explained the game very well.
04:51 That's all for now.
04:53 Allah Hafiz.
04:54 [Music]