Paving the Way for Womens Wrestling in India Slug: Indian female wrestler Date: 01/04/2013 Reporter: Shuriah

Niazi IN R! "or a woman from a #onser$ati$e %uslim #ommunit& in India' ta(ing up a sport li(e wrestling is $er& rare) *ut that didn+t stop "atima *ano) he first female wrestler from her region' "atima is now training other Indian women interested in ta(ing up the sport) Shuriah Niazi meets the national wrestling #oa#h in *hopal' %adh&a ,radesh) -. S". 1 lo#al g&mnasium "atima *ano+s training starts as earl& as / in the morning) It 0egins with a warm1up session for her students) S". 1 lo#al g&mnasium he 321&ear1old is India+s national wrestling #oa#h' appointed 0& the go$ernment of %adh&a ,radesh) She fell in lo$e with the sport from when she was little) 3fter mastering the male1dominated Indian game of 4a0addi and 5udo' "atima was loo(ing for a new #hallenge) "atima *ano #lip 1 67indi' female8: 9"rom the 0eginning' I lo$ed to a##ept #hallenges) :hen wrestling 0e#ame popular in India' onl& men used to ta(e part in it and no wonder it 0e#ame a totall& male1dominated sport) I thought wh& I should not ta(e it as a #hallenge as no woman has e$er entered this field) I was a 5udo pla&er at that time and man& women were ta(ing up 5udo) So I thought I should enter a field where no woman has e$er entered); S". 2 her house *ut as her hus0and Sha(ir Noor re#alls' it wasn+t eas& for her to #on$in#e her parents) Sha(ir Noor #lip 1 67indi' %ale8: 93lthough "atima was a sportswoman' her famil& mem0ers were not read& to see her ta(e part in wrestling) *ut the 0est part was that she was passionate

a0out the sport) 7er famil& was against her de#ision of #hoosing wrestling as it was a male1 dominated sport' and it was not at all possi0le for a %uslim woman to enter su#h a game); "atima e$en fa#ed #riti#ism from her own #ommunit&))) %uslim #leri# %ufti Shees e<plains wh& the& were against "atima+s de#ision) %ufti Shees #lip 1 6%ale' 7indi8: 9 here are some restri#tions imposed 0& Islam and one has to follow them) 3 woman has to #o$er herself and wear #lothes that are de#ent) *ut in a sport li(e wrestling women ha$e to wear short dresses' whi#h is against Islam) :e are not opposed to an& indi$idual' 0ut 0elie$e that the& should respe#t the religion the& follow); In 2001' "atima re#ei$ed the =i(ram award) It+s the highest award in sport gi$en 0& the go$ernment of %adh&a ,radesh) She also re#ei$ed Sports ime 3ward in 2002 from a state1le$el 0od&' Sports ime 3#adem&) Sha(ir Noor was "atima+s wrestling #oa#h) 7e+s now her proud hus0and) Sha(ir Noor #lip 2 67indi' %ale8: 9I am happ& for her) 7er su##ess is m& su##ess) Now she has rea#hed a pla#e that I #ould not ha$e e$en imagined) She is mu#h 0etter than me and a0o$e me) :ith time she is impro$ing herself da& 0& da&) ; S". 3 her students pra#ti#e 3t the g&m' 20 students aged 0etween 12 and 12 are learning wrestling from "atima) !f the group' 10 are girls' in#luding 1/1&ear1old Sushma Sare&am) Sushma Sare&am 6"emale' 7indi8: 9"atima as(ed me to #ome to the g&m to ha$e a trial and I was sele#ted to 5oin her training) She then 0e#ame our #oa#h and through her hard wor( and #onsistent effort' I ha$e now rea#hed the national le$el) I ha$e won gold medals in national e$ents); >eading 0& e<ample' "atima has pa$ed the wa& for other Indian women wanting to wrestle) Now there are almost 3/ female wrestlers in %adh&a ,radesh alone. "atima *ano #lip 2 67indi' "emale8: 9%ore and more girls should #ome forward in this game in India) ?hildren from all #ommunities are #oming forward in this sport) Some %uslim girls are also #oming' 0ut still the num0er is mu#h less) I wanted #hildren from all #ommunities should #ome in sports fields) *ut I hope more girls parti#ipate in this game and realize their dreams); "rom %adh&a ,radesh' this is Shuriah Niazi for 3sia ?alling)