"Beat me in a bout and I'll marry you" . According to the BBC, Ms. Banu issued this challenge to male wrestlers in February 1954.

Hamida Banu was born in the early 1900s in the Uttar Pradesh region of Aligarh. She is regarded as the first professional lady wrestler in India. During the 1940s and 1950s, she became well-known during a period when social conventions strongly prevented women from participating in sports. Her extraordinary achievements and charismatic demeanour made her a worldwide celebrity. She was a trailblazer in her era, and people in India and around the globe are inspired by her bravery. The Google Doodle of today also honours the extraordinary life and legacy of Ms. Banu.

Is Hamida Banu a person?
In the early 1900s, Hamida Banu was born into a family of wrestlers in the Uttar Pradesh region of Aligarh. She started wrestling during a period when social conventions largely prevented women from participating in sports. But she was "passionate and she competed with men anyway, issuing an open challenge to all male wrestlers and wagering her hand in marriage to the first to defeat her," according to Google.

"Hamida Banu was a trailblazer in her era, and people in India and throughout the world are inspired by her bravery. It said, "She will always be honoured for remaining true to herself, regardless of her sporting achievements.

"Hamida Banu was a trailblazer in her era, and people in India and throughout the world are inspired by her bravery. It said, "She will always be honoured for remaining true to herself, regardless of her sporting achievements.

Why was Hamida Banu so well-liked?
"Beat me in a bout and I'll marry you" . According to the BBC, Ms. Banu issued this challenge to male wrestlers in February 1954. She defeated two male wrestling champions—one from Patiala, Punjab, and the other from Kolkata, West Bengal—shortly after the announcement.

Ms. Banu then travelled to Vadodara, Gujarat, in May for her third battle of the year. Baba Pahalwan was her next opponent, but the wrestler she was meant to face pulled out of the match at the last minute. When Ms. Banu prevailed, the fight had only lasted one minute and thirty-four seconds. After that, he gave up on professional wrestling.

After that, Ms. Banu's diet, height, and weight all made headlines. The "Amazon of Aligarh" was the moniker given to her. According to accounts from her surviving relatives, she left her village of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh for Aligarh because of her strength and the conservative views prevalent at the time.
Author Maheshwar Dayal noted in a 1987 book that Ms. Banu's notoriety drew fans from all over the world as she engaged in multiple fights throughout Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. She did, however, also have to deal with criticism from those who were offended by her public appearances. She had also experienced jeers and stoners from supporters after defeating a male rival.

This didn't, however, deter Ms. Banu from following her ambition. She defeated Vera Chistilin in 1954; she was dubbed Russia's "female bear". She said that year that she would travel to Europe to compete against wrestlers.

Individual life
However, Ms. Banu seemed to disappear from the wrestling scene after she defeated Ms. Chistilin in Mumbai. The BBC claims that this is when her life transformed. According to the article, Ms. Banu's coach, Salam Pahalwan, did not approve of her trip to Europe, citing her grandson Feroz Shaikh. He attempted to stop her from doing so.

Rahil Khan, her neighbour, claims that Ms. Banu's coach physically assaulted her, breaking both of her legs. She couldn't even stand. She needed a lathi for years before it healed, but Rahil Khan was cited in the paper as saying that.

Salam Pahalwan's daughter Sahara claimed that her stepmother, Ms. Banu, was the woman he had married. On the other hand, Ms. Banu's grandson disagreed, having lived with her until her death in 1986. "She did live with him, but she never got married," Mr. Shaikh was cited in the report as saying.


Ms. Bani earned a living, according to the BBC, by renting out some buildings and selling milk. She used to sell her handmade treats by the side of the road when she ran out of money.

Post a Comment

أحدث أقدم