Crossing borders,this Afghanistan girl has fans in Pakistan too

“I was very headstrong so when I turned 13,I went up to the coach at a club and said that I wanted to learn. He had no problem as long as I could pay. He would make me train in the corner,but I was thrilled just to learn,” says the slightly built 19 year old who competes in the sub 48 kg category. It turned out that she was pretty good at it. Just three months after she joined she won a local competition,which was also the first time her parents came to know of their daughters passion.

“They didn’t discourage me. I could continue training and later that year I won my first National level competition in Pakistan,” says Meena. She would win five further national titles and in 2010 would pick up three bronze medals at the SAF games in Dhaka last year.

But that would be the high point of her career for Pakistan. She began facing harassment from a senior coach. Officials too turned a blind eye. “It got so bad that I decided to leave Pakistan in August. But I still wanted to continue the sport. So I packed my bags,told my parents I was leaving Pakistan and got onto a bus and left for Kabul,” she says.

Over there she got in touch with some coaches and officials she had known from her competition days.

With not much competition to speak of — Meena is the only woman in any category representing Afghanistan in the competition – she made the national team.

“I only began training fifteen days ago. It isn’t the best way to enter a competition but I am happy to at least be here,” she says. Clearly the players of the Pakistani side were happy as well. “I have had my problems,but my team-mates have always been like family,” she says.

Coaching career

Whilst she had found a spot in the Afghan national team,she had to get by financially as well. “I can’t ask my parents for money because I have been supporting them so far. I had an elder sister but she was killed in a bomb blast. I have four other siblings who are younger than me,so I have to be responsible for them as well,” says Meena. Consequently Meena rented a hall in Kabul and became a karate instructor. She claims to be a pioneer of sorts in the Afghan capital.

“I now teach karate to nearly 80 students. I make enough to live and even enough to send to my parents. While a few students are girls,the majority are boys,some of whom are older than me. At times they don’t like the fact that I am such a young girl who is teaching them karate,but I tell them that I am their teacher and they better respect me as a teacher,” she says fiercely.

While originally there was some tension,things have worked out so far. “They are all very keen to learn and very receptive and that pleases me a lot. I want to stay in Afghanistan and teach as many people as possible,” Meena says.

In Delhi though,Meena’s journey ended in defeat,losing in a flury of kicks thrown by her opponent. While she blames the defeat on the lack of training before the competition,she soon brushes off the defeat and is soon full of smiles.

“I never look to the past. Whatever has happened has happened. I only look to the future. I know it is going to be good,” she says.