India Untold

Meet Sabahat Afreen, Kashmir’s First Martial Arts Player

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Overcoming obstacles

At the age of 8, Sabahat faced opposition from people questioning her choice of wearing hijab during training. 

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Sabahat’s family

Sabahat’s father is a pharmacist, and her mother is a homemaker. She is currently pursuing a BSc degree. 

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Sabahat's perseverance

Despite the lack of facilities at the academy and the financial constraints, Sabahat remained determined and received her training in slippers. 

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A distinguished player

Sabahat has participated in Taekwondo competitions at both national and international levels. She has won medals at district-level championships.

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International Championships

Sabahat has won 4 National Championships, 3 Federation Cups, and Asia Championship.

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Commonwealth Games

Sabahat was selected for the Commonwealth Games, that were to take place in Malaysia. However, the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. 

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Facing challenges

People often provoked Sabahat’s father, and the coach had to step in to convince him to continue her training. 

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Sabahat’s coach

Sabahat’s coach, Faisal Ali Daar has been honoured with the Padma Shri award. 

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Family's support

When Sabahat’s father saw her winning medals at the championships, he wholeheartedly started supporting her.

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