She is the only female athlete in the Pakistan squad at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, but Tazeem Akhtar Abbasi is definitely not feeling leftout.
"At first, I was a bit scared because I was only female athlete in the Pakistan team and also because I had to travel to India," Tazeem admitted to rediff.com on Thursday.
But the unexpected reception that the Pakistan squad got from the Indian fans at the opening ceremony has left them spellbound.
"The way the Indian fans have showed love towards the Pakistani athletes, I really feel at home in India. This experience will stay with me forever and I hope to visit India again and again," she added.
The 31-year-old is hoping to do well at the Delhi Games and inspire more female athletes to take up sports in her country.
"I want to urge all the female athletes in Pakistan to come forward and take part in sports. This is my request with all the federations and even the Pakistan government to encourage more girls to take up sporting activities," she said
Tazeem also showered rich praise on the Games Village, where she said the athletes got everything they wanted.
"The Games Village is excellent and we have got the best facilities there. The food is excellent and we have so much variety there. The practice venues are also fantastic, so we have got all the best facilities at the Games Village," the ace shooter.
Tazeem will be seen in action in the women's 25-metres pistol event.
