Nineteen A’ level students fit into one car to set a world record at DHA Creek Club on Wednesday. PHOTO: HASSAAN KHAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI: Aymen Saleem, a second-year A’ Level student at Karachi Grammar School, was browsing newspaper headlines in her living room, when she came across a story about the world’s largest cake. The story sparked her curiosity and soon enough she was searching for her very own record to break. After a quick search on Google, she found the perfect challenge. All she needed was 19 willing girls and a Smart Car, a two-door micro-car manufactured by Daimler AG in France and Germany. Luckily for Aymen, she happened to have one of them parked in her very own driveway. It was a birthday present from her father Yousuf Saleem.
On Wednesday, Aymen and 18 other girls, from different A’ Level institutions across the city, including KGS and Southshore School, managed to break a previous record by fitting into the vehicle with its doors closed for five seconds. The current official record holders are the Climb FitTeam of Australia who compressed 18 students into a standard SmartCar at the Warringah Mall, Sydney Australia on January 25, 2010.
The girls managed to meet the challenge at the BBQ lawn of Creek Club in front of a jury at a historic event organised by Karim Mohammadi and Rehan Elahi. The chief guests included the federal adviser on textiles Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, adviser Sharmila Farooqi, Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro and former cricketers Wasim Akram and Saleem Yousuf. The girls had been through the drill numerous times. They positioned themselves and with precision crammed one by one into the two-door car in layers. Within a minute they were all inside the car and not only did they manage to break the world record, they managed to stay in the car for a gruelling 10 seconds, double the current record time.
“I want parents around the country to encourage their children to achieve greater things and believe that when you try, you achieve,” said Aymen. Other participants Tanya Pabani, Fatima Ismail and Zahshanné Malik were thrilled about their feat but more interested in meeting Wasim Akram.
Baig said he had initially been sceptical but was won over after he saw them fit in the car in three layers with one literally on the floor mat. Aymen’s parents Yousuf and Shireen told The Express Tribune that even though at first they felt it was just another outdoor activity, they provided them with a coach Hassan Aslam once they realised how determined they were.
The participants included Sarah Ahmad, Hafsa Naveed, Alina Akram (the extra in case someone got injured), Zashanne Malik, Fatima Ismail, Rabbya Kamran, Anam Afridi, Muneezeh Jamal, Hala Faruqi, Dania Fayyaz, Sana Ghazi, Sana Currimbhoy, Zoya Currimbhoy, Hiba Javad, Sana Javad, Nadia Khan, Neha Salauddin, Rida Ashraf, Eman Samir, Tanya Pabani and Aymen Saleem. The team coaches were Hassan Aslam, Sharam Saleem and Shereen Saleem.
