KARACHI:
One of Pakistan’s most iconic judokas and martial artists Humaira Ashiq sets sights on the international belt wrestling event next year as she looks back at the year that was 2023 on Christmas Eve.
Humaira had been the first Pakistani woman to win an international medal at the South Asian Judo Championship in 2010 and she has never looked back. She has been winning medals both on international and national level ever since.
This year was particularly special for her as she returned to the sport after giving birth to her child.
Humaira and her sister Ambreen have been competing for Pakistan and they have dominated the field on the domestic level as well since 2010.
She is, indeed, a role model for girls across the country.
This year too Humaira made her mark when she competed at the National Games only three months after becoming a mother..
She won her first gold medal of the year in –52 kg event at the National Games and then participated in a jiu-jitsu event where she again won a medal.
“It was a very difficult journey, but it was something that I had to do,” Humaira told The Express Tribune while shopping on Christmas Eve.
She has been a shining example of the brilliant athletes that the Christian community has produced for Pakistan. “I went back to the game after just three months, my body was telling me not to, but my mind was telling me to go ahead. It was a real mind over matter situation.
“I listened to my mind. I trained hard and I made sure that I won a medal again. It was a slow process to start with. My body took time to adjust but I kept on training gradually and it all paid off because I had set a goal for myself.”
The seasoned judoka believes that there must be more opportunities for women and more support, and she feels like there is a lot of potential among women that goes undiscovered.
She is breaking the traditional mold of a woman in Pakistani society as she is among the few women athletes who go back to the sport after getting married and giving birth to a child and even fewer who end up winning medals.
“I know it is not easy to come back to a sport, for example for me I had to make sure that I am pushing myself just the right way because in our sport we lift people and pin them down to the flow, so I was at first afraid that my stitches would open up and I wouldn’t be able to heal or compete, but everything worked out for me with careful training.
“It is also not easy for women in our society because of the social pressure, but I have been incredibly lucky to have an incredibly supportive husband and family. I am looking forward to competing in the belt wrestling event next year, so there is a lot more action to come.”
