GYMNASTICS CHANNELLING NADIA COMANECI.

The young woman in a fluorescent lime green tracksuit and white high sole sneakers with the orange laces marches back and forth in the gymnasium. She is quick to point out where any of the gymnasts are making mistakes.

'Stand straight. Look up. Take care of your posture. Be stable,' she tells one little girl standing on one leg.

'I said cartwheel,' she raises an eyebrow while reminding another one, who has missed some part of her instruction to make a back bridge instead.

She stresses on warming up and stretching, taking care of when to breathe in and when to breathe out. 'Careful! Don't strain your wrist there,' she calls out to the girl now doing the cartwheels.

She also tells all the gymnasts not to be mindful of their facial expressions.

Once Pakistan's top female gymnast received help from people who believed in her ambitions. Now she is inspiring younger versions of herself at a gymnastics camp

'Why are you looking so serious?' she asks a tall gymnast in cheerful bumblebee yellow leotards. 'Don't look serious or stressed while performing,' she says more loudly for all to hear.

The girls in the yellow leotards are from Khel in Machhar Colony, the girls from Kiran Foundation are in black leotards and the Army girls are in no specific colours. All are there to attend Pakistan's top female international gymnast Maryam Keerio's gymnastics workshop. Maryam is also known as the 'Queen of Gymnasts' here.

Maryam was called in to conduct a three-day gymnastics workshop by the Imkaan Welfare Organisation, which works with the stateless Bengali and Burmese children of Machhar Colony through its Khel group.

'It's the first camp of its kind here,' Imkaan's founder and director Tahera Hasan tells Eos. 'It is good for both the young gymnasts as well as our coaches. The gymnasts have also, till now, only been trained by male coaches. A woman coach can help them more,' she adds.

'Maryam has taken part in several international championships. She has had the exposure that I wish for my kids. She has first-hand knowledge of international rules and regulations also,' says Tahera. 'I want her to continue guiding us,' she adds.

Imkaan sent out invitations to the Kiran Foundation and Pakistan Army to send their female gymnasts here also. The young gymnasts of Lyari, which include the gymnasts of Machhar Colony, have already done their organisations proud by winning many inter-school and inter-city or national events. Now they are looking forward to...