Mahoor Shahzad

Mahoor Shahzad (born 17 October 1996) is a Pakistani badminton player.[1] She has competed at the 2014 Asian Games,[2] and also at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.[3][4]

Mahoor Shahzad
Personal information
CountryPakistan
Born (1996-10-17) 17 October 1996
Karachi, Pakistan
ResidenceKarachi, Pakistan
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight56 kg (123 lb)
Years active2014–present
HandednessRight
CoachTayyab Sohail (National)
Iftikhar Hussain
Ali Mehdi
Women's singles & doubles
Highest ranking133 (WS 17 March 2020)
146 (WD with Palwasha Bashir 17 March 2020)
Current ranking175 (WS)
248 (WD) (26 July 2022)
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  Pakistan
South Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Kathmandu–Pokhara Women's team
BWF profile

She also represented Pakistan at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo after receiving a tripartite invitation, thus becoming the first Pakistani badminton player to compete at the Olympic Games.[5][6] She was also Pakistan's flag bearer at the opening ceremony along with Muhammad Khalil Akhtar.[7][8]

Education

Shahzad graduated from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi in 2018, with Economics and Mathematics as her subjects.

Career

Shahzad began playing badminton in 2008 in Karachi.[9] Shahzad is a six-time national badminton champion of Pakistan.[10] She won the women's singles titles at the 2017[11] and 2019[12] editions of the Pakistan International Series.

Achievements

BWF International Challenge/Series (2 titles, 3 runners-up)

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2016 Pakistan International Pakistan Palwasha Bashir 21–13, 18–21, 21–23 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2017 Sri Lanka Hasini Nusaka Ambalangodage 21–15, 21–19 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2019 Iran Soraya Aghaei 21–15, 16–21, 21–16 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2019 Pakistan International Pakistan Bushra Qayyum Maldives Aminath Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq
Maldives Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq		 17–21, 13–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2020 Kenya International Pakistan Palwasha Bashir Egypt Doha Hany
Egypt Hadia Hosny		 13–21, 17–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

Personal life

Shahzad's father, Muhammad Shahzad, is an indoor rower athlete. Her sister, Rabia Shahzad, is a weightlifter who has won several international medals for Pakistan.[13][14][15][16]

Controversy

During 2020 Summer Olympics, Shahzad posted a video in which she was seen saying that while she has received praise for her achievements, there were some local badminton players who were jealous of her and acted like "Pathans".[17][18] She received a lot of criticism for ridiculing her fellow players and by extension, an entire ethnicity. After the backlash, she posted another video and apologized.[19][20]

References
  1. "Mahoor Shahzad | Profile". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. "Pakistan Sports Board". Pakistan Sports Board. 14 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  3. "Badminton | Athlete Profile: Mahoor Shahzad - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games". Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  4. Wasim, Umaid (23 July 2022). "Uncertainty gives way to hope as Mahoor gears up for CWG". Dawn. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  5. "Alumni Achievement". IBA Karachi. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  6. "Badminton star Mahoor Shahzad to represent Pakistan in Tokyo Olympics". Geo News. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  7. "Khalil, Mahoor to be Pakistan's flag bearers in Tokyo". Dawn. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. "Akhtar and Mahoor to carry Pakistan's flag at Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony". Inside the Games. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  9. "Badminton Shahzad Mahoor - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  10. Mehboob, Muzzamil (12 March 2022). "Mahoor Shahzad bags National Badminton Championship title". BOL News. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  11. "BWF - Yonex Sunrise Pakistan International Series 2017 - Winners". BWF-Tournament Software. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  12. "Badminton star Mahoor Shehzad wins gold in 2019 Pakistan International Series". The Express Tribune. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  13. Hasan, Shazia (11 August 2019). "Badminton: The rising birdie". Dawn. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  14. Lakhani, Faizan (13 October 2019). "Pakistan's Rabia Shahzad on a roll, wins gold in Hampshire Weightlifting Championship". Geo News. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  15. Raheel, Natasha (9 March 2019). "Pakistan's Rabia Shahzad wins silver at Singapore weightlifting championship". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  16. Raheel, Natasha (14 October 2019). "Two medals in a week: After silver, Pakistani weightlifter Rabia wins gold". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  17. "Mahoor apologises for racist comments". The News International. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  18. "Mahoor Shahzad apologises for her 'Pathan' comment". Samaa TV. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  19. "Olympian Mahoor Shahzad apologises for her comments on 'Pathans'". Dawn. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  20. "'In no way did I intend to pass racist comments,' Mahoor Shahzad says in apology". Geo News. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.


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