Sports has been a passion, saviour and inspiration for Wushu champion Abida Akhtar. It also proved to be her rock amid a life of hardship, a tumultuous marriage and the depression from a failed relationship.
Akhtar is a native of Gojarpatti village in the conflict-hit Bandipora district of Jammu & Kashmir. She lost her father, a policeman, to a terror attack when she was barely two years old. Since then, her mother struggled to make ends meet for Abida and her two siblings.
She did her basic schooling from government schools in Chattibandy and Aragam. She was good at sports from her school days itself, beginning with volleyball and kabaddi and graduating to martial arts like kickboxing by class 12, when her coach Faisal Ali saw the potential in her.
Akhtar took a bachelor’s degree in Education from Government Degree College, Bandipora, in 2015. She went on competing in numerous tournaments and her hard work culminated in a Silver at the Malaysian International Wushu Tournament, 2017.
This Republic Day, the Jammu & Kashmir Department of Tribal Affairs awarded Akhtar the Union Territory’s (UT) first Tribal Award for “outstanding contribution and achievement” in the field of sports. “Congratulations to Ms Abida Akhtar of YSS Bandipora for winning first Tribal Award in Sports. You made this district feel proud,” the DYSSO, Bandipora, tweeted.
But then, her games had come to a sudden stop when her marriage was fixed. Akhtar says the atmosphere at her in-laws was never conducive to pursuing her career. The relationship proved to be short-lived, though, as a divorce materialised after two years. The entire episode left its mark on the young Kashmiri, and she drifted for about a year.
“I was afraid of what everyone would say,” says Akhtar, divorce not being common in her community. Her mother, however, supported her fully and with the help of Coach Ali, Akhtar began training again, this time focusing on Wushu.
Continuing with the impetus, the determined sportswoman completed her post graduation in Physical Education from University of Kashmir in 2019. At 27, Akhtar became a sports teacher in the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports, Jammu & Kashmir
The Wushu champion continues to train youngsters, especially girls of her village and is considered a brand ambassador for Bandipora. She says, “People always told me that girls are not meant to play sports, but my mother never paid heed.” Today, Akhtar has every reason to feel proud of her achievements.
