Nor ‘Phoenix’ Diana breaks norms as first hijab-donning pro-wrestler
As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way!
That’s precisely how a girl weighing 43 kg and measuring 155 cm tall began creating a phenomenon when she became the first Malaysian Muslim woman to participate in a professional wrestling event donning a headscarf, or ‘hijab’.
Nor ‘Phoenix’ Diana’s success of winning the title belt at the professional wrestling competition - ‘The Wrestlecon’ - held at Taman Tun Dr Ismail, here, recently, by defeating four male wrestlers, clearly captured the attention of netizens in the country.
Bernama had the chance to interview the 19-year-old born in Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, whose love for wrestling began after she started watching worldrenowned wrestling show WWE with her siblings, five years ago.
Nor Diana, whose real name is Syaradeeba Khamarulzaman said her deep interest in in the sport led her to join a talent trial at age 16, and her coach Ayez Shaukat Fonseka gave her a chance to compete in her first match, in February 2017.
She said support from her parents also played a big role in boosting her confidence, although they were a little worried about her safety at first, as the sport is often labelled as ‘violent’ or ‘aggressive’.
Reflecting on her career path, the fourth of five siblings said she attended her first wrestling match in February 2017 against another local wrestler, Scarlett Lee, but lost, and since then, worked her way up until she won The Wrestlecon belt last month.
Nor Diana, who has participated in 15 domestic and international tournaments, said she was not merely seeking to win, but rather to popularise the sport among Muslim women.
“For me, this wrestling is a form of art to showcase stunts in front of a live audience,” explained the spectacled young woman who is known for several finishing moves such as ‘Tilt-aWhirl Cutter’, ‘Crossbody’. and ‘Suicide Dive’.
As news of her success went viral on social media recently, Nor Diana said she received several offers for taking part in wrestling competitions overseas, especially in Europe, but chose to only focus on those held in Singapore and the Philippines, as she also had a day-job as a clinical assistant at a hospital in Klang Valley.
“I didn’t expect my success story to go viral internationally, and I will discuss with my parents and my coach before making a final decision, as travelling far away from home for a 19-yearold is a bit scary,” said Nor Diana, who revealed that she also received strong support from the outside community.
Asked about choosing the nickname ‘Phoenix’, Nor Diana said she took inspiration from the mythical bird which is often used to describe those who rise again after defeat.
“I’m just like any other girl who is shy, but when I’m in the wrestling ring and listen to the music playing in the arena, I become charged up like ‘Phoenix’ bird and perform at my best regardless of the size of my opponents.
“At first, I was a little scared of facing opponents who were bigger than me, especially those from overseas, but with the inspiring words of my coach and the ‘phoenix’ aura, I was able to fight my opponents to the best of my ability even though sometimes I had to deal with painful counter-attacks,” she said.
On the selection of her costume, Nor Diana said it was designed based on the ‘Phoenix’ bird as and made to be comfortable while performing.
“Usually, I would suggest about the pants I’d like to wear, while my coach would design the blouse and even the face masks I would wear,” she said.