Knocking (Troubles) Down

The month of July, it was a proud moment for the entire country when an Indian finished on the podium winning Silver in the 48kg category of Sanshou event, in the Malaysia Wushu International Championship.

This player was none other than Abida Akhtar, the 25-year-old Wushu player who hails from Gojarpatti in Bandipore, who earlier brought to the State Gold in kick boxing at National level, last year. Abida has not only knocked down her opponents inside the ring but much opposition outside it, too. We The Women has brought to you about the inspiring journey of this brave women of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abida Akhtar reflects innocence from her face and peace in her dewy eyes but she is a completely different person when she is in her head gear and boxing gloves. Abida is a Martial Arts player, who practices Taekwondo, Kick-boxing and Wushu. But how this girl in hijab got into the ring? Let’s find out.
Abida, born to Khushi Mohammad and Shameema Begum, never had it easy as the sole bread earner of the family was gone before she even got any sense of this world. She lost her father who was in Jammu & Kashmir Police to the bullets of terrorists, when she was barely 18 months old. Making the ends meet for the family of four with Abida, her mother and two siblings was intricate and arduous without any land or other source of income.

“Your definition of hardship is based on the intensity of it you have gone through. My hardship has completely changed my perspective. For me, more than me, it is my mother who has suffered and she is the one who is stroner than me. The circumstances under which my mother took care of the kids by helping in household chores at others place and raised us to live with dignity, have given me immense courage to fight against odds,” says Abida.

Abida is absolutely correct because even if she says her mother is stronger than her, she is no lesser herself. It was Faisal Ali’s demonstration of martial arts in 2009, in the school that induced interest of 17-year-old Abida in sports. The teen got so motivated that five kilometer trek in tough terrain and 8 km of commute through local public transport to the training centre did not deter her spirit even for a single day.

“It was not at all easy. People in the locality used to scorn my mother that girls are not meant for sports, but my mother never paid any heed. In fact whenever I used to feel low on being mocked, she used to boast my spirit,” tells Abida. As per her coach, Abida never skipped training. As a result of which she won Gold in Taekwondo at state level in same year and Gold in Wushu in consecutive year. Although she could not participate at National level due to her studies in school, she started grabbing medals in kickboxing at national level in just two years of training.

Yet, even earning a name for herself in sports in a short time did not sheltered Abida from societal pressure of getting married once her graduation completed. She was giving her BA final year exams when she got married in 2013. And marriage ended her sporting career. Marriage could have been a new hope in her life full of hardships but that further added on to the struggles. The marriage not only ended her sporting career but also left her devastated. “The circumstances at my in-laws’ place were not approving and so it became a distressed marriage. Once I could not bear another assault on my dignity, I decided to move out of the relationship. My mother backed me even in this decision,” says Abida. The couple was divorced in two years.

Despite crashing back down after the divorce, Abida decided to knock down the fate with her punching gloves. She started practicing again. “This society looks down upon the women who are divorced which led me to depression and isolation. But after a year I had enough of condescending looks and remark of people; some even sting you with such comments so sweetly that it becomes hard to tell who is with you and who is not. On being encouraged by family, especially my mother and coach Faisal Ali, I got back into the ring,” shares Abida.

She started training only a year ago and all her hard work, dedication and persistence paid off when she won the championship.

Abida is optimistic about the future of the girls. She says if she can do it, anyone else can too. “It gives me feeling of immense pride when I see girls coming to train regularly. Every woman should know how to defend herself and her dignity,” expresses Abida. She adds on that with empowerment of women, this society will empower. Therefore women should not be treated as commodities or dirt as “almighty has created everyone equally.”