Labourer-athlete Rizwan Pathan fights poverty by day, chases MMA dream by night

By day, 27-year-old Rizwan Pathan hauls heavy slabs of marble in a factory, earning barely enough to keep his children fed. By night, despite aching limbs and exhaustion, he heads to the sports ground to train.

"I work so my children don't sleep hungry," he says. "And I train so the sportsman inside me doesn't die."

Rizwan is not just a labourer. He is a 22-time award-winning athlete in mixed martial arts and gymnastics. Yet his daily wage is as low as Rs1,000, and on days when power loadshedding halts factory work, he sometimes earns nothing at all.

A refugee's road to the ring

Rizwan's story begins in Bajaur. In 2008, following military operations against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, his family was forced to relocate to Nowshera before eventually settling in a rented home in Mardan.

What seemed like hardship at the time turned into what Rizwan calls a "blessing in disguise." Watching karate and gymnastics videos with a friend ignited a dream in him. "That's when I decided I will become an athlete," he recalls.

However, obstacles appeared early. When Rizwan attempted to register for a sports gala, he was told participants from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were not eligible. Determined, he borrowed a friend's Form B (an official document for registering children under 18 years of age), one without even a photograph, enrolled, and won the competition.

He then handed the certificate back to his friend. "What would I even do with this paper?" he said, adding that without any cash award, there was little use for it.

Shoes, scrap, and sparring

As financial pressures mounted, Rizwan moved to Peshawar, where he polished shoes on the streets and worked in hotels to support his family. The evening shifts also meant free meals; a plus.

Though he continued winning competitions, his passion for martial arts was mocked. "The hotel owner used to say, you're a loafer. These kicks won't feed your stomach," Rizwan recalls.

But the kicks continued, whether in practice grounds, in competitions, or in life.

From Peshawar, Rizwan's struggle led him to Punjab. There, he pushed a scrap cart to secure shelter for his family. The business helped him survive, but debt still lingers.

Lending from an empty pocket

Despite his own hardships, Rizwan's commitment to sport extends beyond himself. Unable to bear seeing another athlete's dreams collapse due to poverty, he took out a loan to help a young boxer from Bajaur participate in competitions. Some of that loan remains unpaid, but he has no regrets.

"If one athlete rises, the whole area rises," he says.

A job, a dream, an academy

It is not fame or charity that the labourer-cum-athlete wants. His desire is simple, a stable government job that allows him to sustain his family and dedicate time to building a sports academy. His dream is to bring the youth of the former FATA region into sports – steering them toward discipline, opportunity, and positive engagement.

From lifting marble stones by day to throwing punches by night, Rizwan continues to fight, not just for medals, but for dignity, survival, and the next generation of athletes.