Anita in the ring

Anita Karim is not a household name in Pakistan, though she should be. There are many reasons for such obscurity. Anita is a woman, from Hunza, who practises MMA, a sport that barely gets any attention in the country because, like other sports, it is dwarfed by glamorous cricket tournaments. But Anita’s recent achievements more than speak for her talent and skill. The mixed martial arts fighter has become the first fighter from Pakistan to win under the banner of Fairtex Fight Promotion at Lumpinee Stadium, Bangkok by defeating her Australian opponent in all three rounds. In 2019, she won the ONE Warrior Series (OWS) held in Indonesia. It was however disappointing to learn that after her 2019 win, the bantamweight category fighter was received at the Lahore airport by few people, mainly people from Hunza and a few other fans.

Our heroes in minority sports, which essentially include all sports other than cricket, go unrewarded and unrecognized consistently. Anita Karim deserves honours for what she has achieved in a male-dominated sport. Her skills in mixed martial arts, a traditionally tough sport, need to be acknowledged and other women and girls encouraged to take up the sport professionally. The fact that Anita Karim is from Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan makes her achievements even more laudable mainly due to the fact that the region has traditionally remained neglected – part of the so-called ‘peripheries’ of the country. In interviews, Anita has shared how people have objected to her dress kit, highlighting the additional pressure women in sports often go through in Pakistan: where dress codes and issues of ‘modesty’ often take over the discourse. Undeterred by criticism, however, Anita keeps moving forward. This 25-year-old MMA fighter deserves far more than a couple of interviews and an official dinner or two by the government. Pakistan needs to encourage sports across the country, and especially so in areas that are not seen as mainstream in the country. Add to that the fact that this MMA fighter happens to be a Pakistani woman and we have a story worth being proud of. Whether for self-defence – needed at a time when sexual violence against women has seen a disturbing increase – or as a sport, women in the ring need to be encouraged. There is still no real recognition for mixed martial arts in the country. One would hope the government finally looks beyond the traditional cricket obsession and recognizes the need to set up a regulatory body for MMA, and encourages both men and women to pursue this sport.