This is not a sport for women. What is the need? You will face problems. What will people say? Women don't get many chances - These are some of the things that the woman who wants to become an athlete hear in Pakistan. Still, some tackle all the challenges and cross all the hurdles to achieve what they dream of.
Women in Pakistan are not much into sports. Usually, the clothing that the sport requires is not appropriate, leading to the women either leaving the sport or choosing not to opt for it at all. A sport, which is not much popular among men but is favourable for women especially so due to the modest clothing option it offers and thus has led to higher numbers of women attempting to make their mark in it is fencing.
Fencing is not a popular sport in Pakistan, and a sport of this level doesn't usually attract women athletes. But the reason that this sport has women athletes in Pakistan is primarily because of the clothing involved in this sport.
Although this is a famous sport and became part of the Olympics in the late 18th century, it took 123 years to come to the South Asian region and become part of the 13th South Asian Games for the first time. A number of 48 athletes participated from the top five nations, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Pakistan was represented by 11 athletes and won two bronze.
There are three weapons in modern fencing: foil, épée, and sabre. Each weapon divides the sport into different types, and each has its own rules and strategies.
The equipment
Most of the personal protective equipment for fencing is made of rigid cotton or nylon. The set of uniform and its pieces are called Kevlar, includes a jacket, breeches or knickers, plastron (underarm protector), glove, socks, shoes, lame (a layer of electrically conductive material worn over the fencing jacket), a plastic chest protector, leather sleeve and the bib of the mask.
Other ballistic fabrics, such as Dyneema, have been developed that resist puncture. The rules set by Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE), the international governing body of Olympic fencing, state that tournament wear must be made of fabric that resists a force of 800 newtons (180 lbs), and that the mask bib must resist twice that amount.
A national-level gold medalist in Women Fencing, Aisha Muhammad, told The Express Tribune that she began fencing in her eighth grade. "Trials were being held in my school for different games. I was interested in Judo and Taekwondo, but then I saw fencing, a new sport. I was inspired by the uniform of the sport," she said.
"Many of the girls back out from taking part in the sports because of its dress or uniform. Girls who cover themselves are also interested in playing sports but are hesitant that they will have to remove the Hijab to take part. But this was a sport where you can even wear all the equipment with your Hijab," she added.
Although the then 16-year-old Aisha was interested in Judo and Taekwondo, she opted for fencing, a type of martial arts and combat sport. “Initially I selected Judo and Taekwondo, but after learning more about fencing and its scope around the world, I decided that this is the sport that I want to pursue in," she said, adding that she then talked to her brother, who after learning about the sport spoke to their parents and gave her permission to pursue it.
After three years of hard work and winning a gold medal at the inter-provincial level, she made her place for the Fencing competition at South Asian Games 2019 held in Kathmandu, Nepal. “I was delighted to make my place at the South Asian level. This proved that I am progressing, which is the sport I am made for. I did quite well there, and now I am aiming for the next edition, which is to be held in Pakistan. I will definitely win a medal,” she added.
She further said that another reason that she fell in love with this sport is fitness. “The footwork involved in this sport keeps you physically fit and mentally strong,” she said, adding that she practiced three days a week from Friday.
Talking about the number of competitions held in Pakistan, she said not many tournaments are happening, especially since the pandemic. “There is a minimal number of tournaments in Pakistan, and we don't get much chance to practice at a national level. Also, there is no schedule for it suddenly. You can get two to three tournaments in a row,” she said.
The 19-year-old Aisha wants to make her name in the same sport. Even if she faces hurdles, she won't leave this sport. She said there are times when they have to train with the male players, but she takes it as a chance to enhance her skills. “The playing style of male players is slightly different from female players. They are strong and quicker, but they often help us in getting our skills polished and overcome the other female athletes in fencing,” she said.
When Aisha doesn't get a chance to train at the academy, she takes on to YouTube to watch the videos of her ideal Olga Kharlan, a Ukrainian Fencer who is also the top woman fencer in the world. She holds a bronze medal from both the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics and is a four-time World champion and five-time European champion.
“I learn a lot from her videos. I want to be at her place one day. Her skills are top-level, and that is what I want to achieve. This will require a lot of practice and proper equipment. Only then I can become the top player," she said.
Since she won the National gold medal and participated in the South Asian Games, she has been training girls in schools and Universities. “I do train girls who are interested in this sport, and I tell them about this sport and pass on the knowledge I gained. I don't want them to take the same time I spent to get here but to get here faster and go further,” she said, adding that she is planning to do graduation in Physical Education and then pass on the knowledge to other girls.
Talent in Pakistan
Pakistan may be a country where the most followed sport is cricket, but many athletes, especially female athletes, are making their way into fencing. While talking to The Express Tribune, the coach and Secretary-General of Sindh Fencing Association (SFA), Muhammad Taqi, said that the number of players is increasing every year.
“The sport is popular among female athletes. Wherever I have held trials, the number of female athletes who come in are more than the male athletes. This is because the male players get chances in the other sports as well, but this sport which also supports the hijab for the female players is an attraction for females,” he said.
“In this sport, parents also support the girls. They send them in a scarf, and the good thing is that the mask can be worn on the scarf. This way, their head stays covered, and the dress itself is fully covered," he said.
He informed that when he held the Sindh trials, a number of 30 to 40 women athletes appeared in each region except Larkana, who only later on got into this sport. “From every region, we select nine players, three each for foil, épée, and sabre. This shows that there is a lot of talent in Pakistan and yet to be explored,” he added.
Talking about the issues, he said that like every other sport where women take part and have to level due to social issues, the same issue lies in fencing. “There is a huge turnout of female athletes in the trails and training camps. They do pursue it too, but then at an older age, they leave either because of marriage or some other domestic issues,” he said.
“This is not with just this sport but with all. More challenging is the unavailability of equipment. The equipment is too expensive, and not every piece of the uniform and gears are available in Pakistan,” he said. "The beginners not just here but around the world start with a stick, and they train with the stick for three for four months and then take on the original equipment. Even then, there are limitations as there is no electrical equipment available in Pakistan.”
He added that this is the reason why most of the players come and go. The players are not able to afford it. “Even if some show interest, they are only able to buy gloves and jackets because those have started being made in Pakistan, but the sword, blade, mask and other stuff has to be imported from China,” he said.
“If the equipment is made in Pakistan, then these athletes can buy them by pooling in, but they think 100 times before ordering something from China as it may get stuck in customs,” he said. “A normal non-electric costume and equipment cost around 40,000 to 50,000, and if they go for electric, it can cost even more. This is why they drop the plan to buy from China and get what is available here,” he said.
He informed that the SFA bought some of the equipment, but it gets retired soon when used by several players. Taqi said that this is one of the reasons that Pakistan is far behind other nations. “The less the athlete's practice, the less they will be equipped to face other nations. Some athletes are passionate, but they don't get enough time to practice as the equipment has to be shared,” he said.
Talking about the number of competitions held every year in Pakistan, he said that there are four regional and national tournaments held on women’s day. He said to make the athletes stay, they have to have different equipment. Most players are from Punjab, but Sindh and KPK are growing.
The missing end
A Pakistani-American Fencing athlete, Hareem Ahmed, who visited Pakistan in 2011 and 2018 to find an official federation to represent Pakistan globally, had to go back disappointed. “This is not a super popular sport even in the US, and there are minimal options available for a fencer. But as I am from Pakistan, I wanted to represent Pakistan on the global stage. I went there talked to several people, and they some showed me a direction. There was nothing but disappointment,” she said.
Growing up in New Jersey, she witnessed this sport for the first time. It was her cousin who was a fencer in his school and the time she saw it she fell in love with it. “There are some moments and things that you fall in love with, and it is complicated to explain the connection. That is what I had with fencing when I saw it for the first time,” said Hareem.
“This sport is not even shown on the TV channels, and that is why many are unaware of it. This is a huge challenge. When you tell them you are a fencer, they don't understand what you are talking about. Many of them have never seen it and neither any of their relatives or friends have been in this sport. So when you talk about it with them, they are just blank,” she said.
Belonging to a Muslim family and wearing Hijab, she said diversity in our culture. Some except different things, and some don't. “Fencing is a type of martial arts like boxing and wrestling. You are trying to defeat the other person physically, but no physical damage is done to the other person,” she said.
“This is why many parents also allow it easily. As you don't have a fear of getting your nose broken. The body is fully covered from head to toe. This makes it attractive for many, and so it did to me,” she explained, adding that the case of affordability is a significant issue as the equipment is expensive.
Hareem, who began fencing in school, had to take a break after months for several reasons but then started training with her cousin in high school. Then after going into college, she started training even tougher.
“There was a fencing team in my college, and I was trying to make a place in it. At that time, I was so weak that I fell down while training. I wasn't enjoying it but still wanted to do it at any cost," she said, adding that fencing is the sport that she can't leave, and this is what she wanted to do.
Soon after being selected for the college, she faced an injury. She had to go through physiotherapy to get back fit. “I was 18-year-old, and the girls I was competing with were 10 to 12 years old. I did feel embarrassed, but I only had one thing in my mind that I have to do it,” she said.
She didn't have any natural talent in this sport, but her heart wanted to do this, and she did it. She went from local competitions to regional, then national, and finally got into the top 50 in the national ranking of fencers in the US after reaching the required number of points at the national level.
Hareem then took part in the Domestic World Cup and gained success. She then decided to go more prominent, and this time she had the support of the people around her. “Before, no one knew about the sport, but once I started doing good at it, many are now aware of it. No one ever stopped me from pursuing fencing as I was earning and spending on my own,” she said.
It was when she wanted to go to New York and get to work with the coach she wanted. She looked for a job there, got the relevant job, and then trained under the coach. A time came when she tried to make a change and had to choose either her career or fencing. Without a thought, she went for fencing as she could get jobs later but won't get a chance in fencing,” she shared.
The then 21-year-old moved to Portland, where the US national fencing coach was. “I started working with him, and he encouraged me. This was when I was thinking to myself that now that I am at this point, I am doing well, and people have also started saying that they are getting inspired by me, and thought that I should represent my homeland Pakistan,” she shared.
She tried to get under the green flag at the international stage but could not find any official federation affiliated with FIE. “It was difficult for a local to find a federation, and I was an outsider and didn't get the right path," she said.
“Then I contacted FIE, they let me compete under their banner for Pakistan, but I couldn't represent Pakistan officially as there was no official federation. So FIE said I could represent under their banner until the official federation is made. I could go to all the competitions except the Olympics,” she explained.
This was when she went for her first international competition, the World Championship, in 2013. There she won her first elimination bout and went to the round of 64. Although she ended up at 64th place, she was really proud of herself for reaching this far.
“It was a long journey for me. Working and living alone in Portland without family was tough. I wasn't finding any hope to represent my country, so I decided to retire from this sport after that competition because it was a lot to do without any support. My goal was to see how good I could get. With more support, it would have been different, but with the current support, I could get at this position only,” she said.
Talking about the talent in Pakistan, she said, “Talent is never enough for you to take you far. You need the needed support, and you need to learn the techniques that develop you technically and how different movements are done. Three years ago, I was impressed that people saw the internet and learned in Pakistan, but in the end, you need good coaching and proper equipment.”
Although she doesn't compete anymore, showing her love for the sport and her homeland Pakistan, she said she would love to train the fencers in Pakistan. “If not physically, then I can give them online training. I have contacted and offered several people but then received no response,” she concluded, adding that she wanted to do this sport for herself, and she did, but now she wants to make this sport famous and bring as many people as she can into this sport and stay close to the sport.