'Why are they wearing shorts?': Pakistan journalist asks women's football team coach, slammed online

New Delhi, India

A Pakistani reporter has been slammed online after he raised an objection to the Pakistan women's football team payers wearing shorts during their matches in a tournament. The Pakistan women's team recently returned home after the end of their campaign in the ongoing South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's Cup in Nepal where they earned their biggest in against Maldives.

Pakistan recorded a forgetful campaign in the SAFF Women's Cup but managed to end their tournament on a high by beating Maldives comprehensively by 7-0 in their last game. It was their first win in the tournament in eight years and the team was lauded by many for their superb performance.

They received a warm reception back home after recording their biggest win in the tournament but things soon turned sour for the players and the members of the support staff during the press conference back home. A reporter decided to focus on the kits of the Pakistani players instead of their performances and went on to ask an absurd question.

Raising an objection to the female players wearing shorts during the tournament in Nepal, the reporter asked head coach Adeel Rizki why the players didn't wear leggings during their matches in Nepal.

“As you know we belong to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which is an Islamic country, I want to ask why are these girls wearing shorts, not leggings,” the reporter asked Rizki during the presser.

Clearly taken aback by the question, the Pakistan women's team head coach responded, "one has to be progressive".

“We have never tried to stop anyone as far as the uniform is concerned, it’s something we don’t control,” he explained.

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A clip of the reporter Rafiq Khan's question has been doing the rounds on social media and has sparked outrage among the netizens. Many have since expressed their angst against the reporter's "regressive mindset" and slammed him for his absurd question.

"Did the Islamic Republic of Pakistan's journalists ever bothered to ask when money is stolen? When positions are exploited? When corruption is done? Why does all this boil down to the clothes of women? I wish they would be vocal about every wrong deed in our country," Pakistani squash player Noorena Shams said in a tweet.

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Forward Nadia Khan became the first Pakistani to score four goals in a single game in women's international football to help her team beat Maldives 7-0 in the SAFF Cup earlier this week. Pakistan had earlier lost against Bangladesh and India to bow out of the competition.