BY SYED TAJAMUL ISLAM
Q: Give brief about yourself ?
A: I am Syed Rashida Simnani hailing from small family at Drabgam Pulwama who wants to invest the passion in Belt wrestling and want to bring laurels to the nation.
Q: As a girl, how did you motivate yourself in such part of sports?
A : Despite facing storm of opposition, I managed to keep my dedication and passion for Belt wrestling alive all the time by believing that if one is aiming at the right goal, should not get stuck and despair due to obstacles and blunders.
Q: How did you begin your journey in Belt Wrestling?
A: I started my journey in the field of sports when I was in 8th standard at Maxwell Secondary School Pulwama where my physical teachers recognised my talents and supported me with right training.
Q: What is your present status of medal tally?
A: At present, I am National and International athlete by winning bronze medal in National Belt Wrestling at 62nd National level school games organised by National School Games Federation of India at Pune and silver medal in International Taekwondo Championship (India)
Q: How can a rural girl pursue career in sports, as there is a jink in society for a girl to do wrestling?
A: Indeed, there are lot of difficulties surrounding a rural girl to breathe in sports field but I believed that if a girl whether rural or urban is passionate, fearless and determined towards sports, she can get the wonderful appreciation and awards.
Q: What was your maiden selection in sports field?
A: My maiden selection was in 2016 when I got call up for under-19 National Baseball Tournament held at Chandigarh where I played the game with full zeal and enthusiasm.
Q: When did you feel attached towards the game of Belt Wrestling?
A : During 2017, when I got selected in Belt Wrestling at Pampore Higher Secondary Institute and it was the first time that I got interested towards the said game.
Q: When did you get awawrded at national level?
A: When I was selected for National belt wrestling held at Ahmadnagar Maharashtra in 2017 where I bagged bronze medal among 14 players from J&K.
Q: What was your position at International level?
A: During 2018, I represented Al-Jawad Sports Academy at Delhi on 3rd International taekwondo championship and bagged silver medal.
Q: Do any of your selections made you surprised?
A : Yes, all of my selections was the substance of surprises but when I got job offer from Women Degree College M.A Road Srinagar for the post of coach on contractual basis, I got thrilled and fascinated about my selection.
Q: During your one year contractual job as coach at Women Degree College Srinagar, which things or experiences you have encountered?
A: During that time, I mastered the art of self-defence among students and upload all of my training sessions on Instagram handles. I became able to guide the learners of belt wrestling with master class techniques. At the same college, I pursued my B.A Course at ease.
Q: Have you ever organised any wrestling based events at South Kashmir?
A: Due to the support from Youth Services and Sports, I became able to train more than 200 students hailing from south Kashmir.
Q: What was the turning point that made you to imbibe the skill of Self-defence among female folks of Kashmir?
A: Actually, it was during 2017 when mysterious braid choppers were terrorising the entire Kashmir, I felt the need of imparting the skill of self-defence among the girls and women to stay safe from threat. In such situation, I managed to train girl students in more than 10 local schools of district Pulwama.
Q: Were your parents supportive to take up sports as your career ?
A: At first, my parents felt offended in allowing me to wrestle in the orthodox society but latter recognising my passion and talents, they became my proud supporters in both shade and sun.
Q: What was your strength and wonderful feature of your career in Sports?
A : Each national and international athletes are performing all the games well only with the help of special coach or trainer but I managed to reach to national and international level without being ever trained by any special coach or trainer because in J&K, there is no special coach for wrestling. I performed all the events by merely watching videos of well-known wrestlers like Sushil Kumar Solanki, Navjot Kaur and Divya Kakran.
Q: What are your suggestions to uplift the unsung wrestling athletes of valley?
A: I like to recommend the Authority of Sports Council of India to reach out to the unsung athletes especially of rural areas so that the efforts and talents of many wrestlers did not go un noticed and unharnessed.
Q: What is your message towards aspiring female wrestlers to clinch success in their sports field?
A: My only mantra of success is “Never Give – up “. Believe in yourself and imbibe optimistic attitude all the time. All we need to be bold, active and hopeful in our life and never behave like a victim in every moment of life. I want young girls from rural areas to be empowered and be given freedom of choice so that they can surmount any challenge.
Q: Whom do you credit all of your success in Sports field?
A: I want to give all credit to my family, coaches and friends who always inspired and motivated me.
Q: What is your Ultimate aim?
A: My Ultimate aim is to represent India and to clinch gold medal in Olympics.
Q: Wish you all the best.
A: Thank you very much.
