In a country that functions on rigorous and conservative Muslim values, 19 year old Razia Banu and mother, widow, Haleema Abdul Aziz are smashing taboos at the Pak Shaheen Boxing Club in Lyari, Karachi. Banu, who was drawn into the ring last year, after watching the grand funeral of legendary boxer Mohammad Ali, sought her mother's permission to join the club that started last year, the first for women in entire Pakistan.
Banu said Ali was her "favourite personality". Haleema, worried about her daughter's request, weighed the financial aspects, and the fact that her husband had passed away five years back. The deeply conservative Pakistani society, that witnesses women fight for their rights for decades, was a major reason for her to support her daughter. The 35 year old single mother said, "I believe that all the males become beasts when a woman goes out alone from her home. But I did not disappoint her (Banu) because I wanted her to be successful in her life. Males think they are strong so they could beat females and force them to be confined to the home." Her husband, she said, was a good man who encouraged their daughter to participate in sports. "But I think that when you have strength you should provie safety to people instead of beating them," she continued. It was banu's passion that inspired her mother to follow her daughter to join the club.
The place is sparse, with facilities limited to a ring, three punching bags, and a boxing balloon. Founder and coach Yunus Qanbarami said money is tight. "We don't even have a proper changing room for the girls to put their kit on. We don't have the right rubber mounting on the ring ropes," he said. He even talked about the social backlash. "At one point, some people plotted to attack the club to force me to close it down. But I am determined to carry on," he said. "I want our daughters to go to the international level and hoist the Pakistani flag in foreign lands."
While Haleema aims to become good enough to coach girls herself one day, Banu wishes to box in the Olympics. "I wish to box in the Olympics, and not just participate, but to win the gold."
