{"id":39748,"date":"2023-12-25T16:19:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-25T16:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/humaira-sets-eyes-on-belt-wrestling-next-year-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-12-25T16:19:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-25T16:19:06","slug":"humaira-sets-eyes-on-belt-wrestling-next-year-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/humaira-sets-eyes-on-belt-wrestling-next-year-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Humaira sets eyes on belt wrestling next year | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nKARACHI:
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One of Pakistan\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year was particularly special for her as she returned to the sport after giving birth to her child.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Humaira and her sister Ambreen have been competing for\u00a0Pakistan\u00a0and they have dominated the field on the domestic level as well since 2010.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She\u00a0is, indeed, a role model for girls across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year too Humaira made her mark when she\u00a0competed\u00a0at the National Games only three months after becoming a mother..\u00a0<\/p>\n

She won her\u00a0first\u00a0gold medal of the year in \u201352 kg event at the National Games and then\u00a0participated\u00a0in a jiu-jitsu event where she again won a medal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very difficult journey, but it was something that I had to do,\u201d Humaira told The Express Tribune while shopping on Christmas Eve.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She has been a shining example of the brilliant athletes that the Christian community has produced for Pakistan. \u201cI 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\u00a0real\u00a0mind over matter situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The seasoned judoka believes that there must be more opportunities for women and more\u00a0support,\u00a0and she feels like there is a lot of potential among women that goes undiscovered.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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\u00a0flow, so I was at first afraid that my stitches would open up and I wouldn\u2019t be able to heal or compete, but everything worked out for me with careful training.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is also not easy for women in our society because of the social pressure, but I have been\u00a0incredibly lucky\u00a0to 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n