Azher Ali, is a 15 year old boy from Old Golimar Area in Karachi who had transformed his life through the DOSTI programme. Before joining the programme Azher was surrounded by friends who were involved in street crime and other unlawful activities. Azher made an effort to keep himself away from such activities as he knew he had the potential to do bigger and better things in life.
The DOSTI programme had made its way to Azher’s locality. Being of a curious nature, Azher decided to take a look at what DOSTI had to offer. He was surprised to see the passion and determination shown by the young boys involved in sports. The sense of community was something Azher had longed for. He met the head coach and expressed his desire to be a part of the programme. He felt that DOSTI was an opportunity to start fresh and stay away from the negative influences around him. This led to Azher steering clear from his criminal friends as well as him continuing his education.
During his participation with DOSTI, Azher had the opportunity in 2017 to visit Lahore and tour the Ghaddafi stadium, attend professional training session at the National Cricket Academy, meet cricket coaches as well as the former Pakistan cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed who shared his inspiring life story which had a positive impact on Azher and the other participants.
Azher’s passion for cricket was evident through his dedication and hard work. This led him to play an indoor cricket match at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore with the Great Britain’s Royal Army Military Academy officers. The event which was organized by the British Council and PCB, was an important platform for Azher to showcase his skills and passion for cricket.
Azher continues to encourage other teenagers to join the British Council DOSTI programme, as he believes sports along with education and mentorship can make a huge difference in a teenager’s life by providing him or her the platform to realize their true potential while avoiding the negative influences around them.