Former Pakistani badminton player Manaal Khan has spoken out against body-shaming culture in sports and society after revealing she was targeted over her weight while recovering from surgery and battling endometriosis.
In a series of Instagram stories shared from a badminton venue, Manaal Khan said she returned to a place where she had played and won one of her first matches, expecting to feel nostalgic. Instead, she said several people commented on her weight within minutes of seeing her.
“Playing ‘for’ Pakistan was always a dream,” she wrote. “But playing ‘in’ Pakistan, around people who are so stuck on your body instead of your game… it’s just exhausting.”
Manaal Khan criticized what she described as an unhealthy obsession with appearance, saying the same comments and mindset continue to exist among people around athletes, including coaches.
She said many individuals judge athletes based on their bodies rather than their talent, performance, or personal struggles.
The former player also revealed details about her health condition, saying she underwent a complicated surgery nearly a year ago and still cannot walk properly.
She shared that she was diagnosed with endometriosis and has been undergoing treatment involving high-potency medicines and injections, which led to a weight gain of more than 20 kilograms.
However, she stressed that she should not have to explain her medical condition to justify changes in her appearance.
“You don’t know someone’s story,” Manaal Khan wrote, urging people to stop making insensitive comments about others’ bodies.
Calling the comments both “predictable” and “frustrating,” Khan said she hopes society eventually moves beyond appearance-based judgments and becomes more empathetic toward people dealing with health challenges.
She also praised supportive coaches who focus on helping athletes grow as individuals rather than defining them solely through physical appearance or performance.
“I really hope and pray we get more coaches like mine,” she wrote, “the kind who actually shape you into a good human, not just a player.”
