STRONGARMING STEREOTYPES
Two years ago, Majiziya Bhanu was home for college vacation when she decided to take up boxing—travelling 50 kilometres to Kozhikode from Vadakara for classes. Since her braces prevented her from sparring, her trainer recommended she take up power lifting instead, a piece of advice that changed her life.
She soon transformed herself from a fitness fan to a state-level celebrity, going on to win the title of ‘Strong Woman of Kerala’ three times, as well as a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Power Lifting Championship held in Indonesia, where she turned heads with her headscarf. And this week, she’s the only woman competing in the open category of the World Armwrestling Championship in Antalya, Turkey.
“If I can run on the field under the hot sun wearing the hijab, I can wear it while power lifting or armwrestling too,” says Majiziya, who was accustomed to competing in a headscarf at the Islamic
school she attended. But it still draws extra attention.
“When I was in Indonesia, people were surprised to see a contestant from India wearing the hijab,” especially since many of the Indonesian competitors were bareheaded, she says with a smile.
On her husband’s suggestion, she took up body building next, winning the women’s segment of the Mr Kerala competition in Kochi early this year, and she’s already made a difference in Vadakara—where her dream is to open her own gym some day. “When I first started going to the gym, I was an object of curiosity. Now, women attending the gym do not restrict themselves to women’s timing and come to the gym at all times.”
What are her chances in Turkey? That’s hard to predict, she says. “When you are power lifting, you know the weights you will be taking and you gear yourself up for it, but in an armwrestling competition, you cannot gauge the mental strength and determination of your opponent. Physical and mental strength both influence the outcome.”