Karachi: In spite of his father’s worries about his future, a lack of equipment, and the choppy waves near Karachi, Attiq Ur Rehman is determined to fulfill his dream of becoming Pakistan’s first professional surfer.
“At this point, I don’t care about the money.” The 21-year-old responds, “I just want to compete,” ignoring his father’s plea for him to take up fishing so he can marry and provide for his family.
“It’s my surfer mentality.”
Rehman’s family is from a poor coastal community in southern Pakistan. Most of their income comes from fishing or working as lifeguards for wealthy Karachi residents who come to the beach for the day.
On August 28, 2024, surfers check their boards as they get ready to surf at Tushan Beach in Karachi. — Reuters Through fishing, his father earns the equivalent of $100 per month to feed a family of ten.
Muhammad Rafiq, Rehman’s father, stated, “I told him a thousand times (to stop surfing), but he still doesn’t listen.”
Rehman was a lifeguard, but he quit to focus on surfing, which he started when he was nine years old. He also started a new community that goes by the name “Surfers of Bulleji.”
In a nation where cricket and hockey are the most popular sports, the group, which now numbers approximately fifty members, has gone viral on social media.
