At fourteen, Shafiya Altaf from Budgam has already built a sporting record across several disciplines. A Class 9 student, she has participated in running, baseball, softball, chess and yoga, moving between sports while continuing her studies.
Her journey began in 2023, when she was in Class 5. Her first experience in competitive sport came through running at the Budgam zone level, where she secured second position. It was a small beginning, but it introduced her to competition and gave her an opportunity to discover an interest that would gradually take her into several other sporting disciplines.
Baseball became one of the most important parts of that journey. Shafiya progressed through zone, district and UT-level competitions before reaching the national level. She has competed in Ganderbal, Jammu and New Delhi on her way to the nationals.
Reaching the national level at fourteen means that a sport that began as an activity at school age has gradually become a serious part of her life. Baseball also took her beyond the familiar sporting choices that many young girls encounter. Instead of limiting herself to one discipline, she continued to explore different games and learn from each experience.
Her involvement in softball followed a similar path. She participated at the zone and district levels and went on to the UT level. She also took part in chess at the zone, district and UT levels.
Chess, in particular, requires a very different approach from sports played on a field. It demands concentration, patience and the ability to think several moves ahead. For Shafiya, moving between chess and physically demanding sports such as baseball and softball has meant experiencing competition in very different forms.
Yoga added another dimension to her sporting interests. In 2026, she won a silver medal at the district level. The achievement came after she had already gained experience in several other sports, adding another discipline to her growing list of accomplishments.
What makes Shafiya’s record interesting is the range itself. At fourteen, she has not confined herself to one definition of what a sportsperson should be. She has tried different disciplines, competed at different levels and continued to participate where she found an interest.
Such a journey also depends on support at home. Shafiya says her father has supported her in sports. His encouragement has allowed her to continue participating in competitions and give time to an activity that requires regular practice and commitment.
For young girls, family support can have practical importance. Taking part in competitions may involve leaving home for events, managing studies alongside practice and continuing even when an activity requires time and effort. When parents support that choice, a young girl gets the space to take her interest seriously.
Shafiya’s experience also offers a different way of looking at sporting achievement among girls in Kashmir. Participation is often discussed through medals and positions, yet the process begins much earlier, with a girl being allowed to enter the field, try a sport, compete and decide that she wants to continue.
Her own story began with running. She then moved into baseball, softball, chess and yoga, with each sport becoming another part of her experience. Baseball eventually took her to the national level, while yoga brought her a district-level silver medal in 2026.
There is also a wider significance in seeing a young girl from Budgam participate across these sporting spaces. A girl who becomes visible through sport can make the possibility more familiar to others around her. For younger girls watching, competitive sport becomes something they can consider for themselves rather than something distant or unusual.
Shafiya herself wants to continue in sports. Her achievements have therefore not become a stopping point for her. She remains interested in participating, improving and seeing how far she can go.
Her message to other girls across Kashmir is simple: if you have an interest in sports, just do it. She wants girls to give themselves the chance to participate rather than hold themselves back from something they enjoy.
That message comes naturally from her own experience. She did not begin with a national-level achievement. She started as a Class 5 student taking part in a race in Budgam, where she finished second. From there, one sporting experience led to another.
Today, at fourteen, Shafiya has competed in five disciplines, reached the national level in baseball and won a silver medal in district-level yoga. Her story is still in its early stages, with many more years ahead to develop her skills and decide where sport will take her. What began in Budgam as a schoolgirl willing to try now continues as a national-level player willing to try even more.
