Hamida Banu: All About The Incredible Life of India's First Woman Wrestler

Hamida Banu, widely considered India's first professional woman wrestler, was born in the early 1900s near Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. She rose to stardom in the 1940s and 50s, at a time when women's participation in athletics was strongly discouraged by prevalent social norms. Her spectacular feats and larger-than-life persona brought her global fame. She was a trailblazer of her time, and her fearlessness is remembered throughout India and across the world. Today, Google Doodle is also paying tribute to the remarkable life of Ms Banu, whose legacy embodies resilience, determination and breaking barriers. 

Who was Hamida Banu? 

Hamida Banu was born into a family of wrestlers in the early 1900s near Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. She entered into wrestling at a time when women's participation in athletics was strongly discouraged by prevalent social norms. However, Ms Banu was "passionate and she competed with men anyway, issuing an open challenge to all male wrestlers and wagering her hand in marriage to the first to defeat her," as per Google. 

Ms Banu's career even extended into the international arena, where she won against a Russian woman wrestler Vera Chistilin in less than two minutes. "Her name appeared in newspaper headlines for years, and she became known as the "Amazon of Aligarh." The bouts she won, her diet, and her training regimen were widely covered," Google wrote. 

"Hamida Banu was a trailblazer of her time, and her fearlessness is remembered throughout India and across the world. Outside of her sporting accomplishments, she will always be celebrated for staying true to herself," it added. 

What made Hamida Banu popular? 

"Beat me in a bout and I'll marry you". This was the challenge that Ms Banu made to male wrestlers in February 1954, as per BBC. Soon after the announcement, she defeated two male wrestling champions - one from Punjab's Patiala and the other from Kolkata in West Bengal. 

In May, Ms Banu then reached Gujarat's Vadodara for her third fight of the year. However, the wrestler she was supposed to fight withdrew from the match last minute, leading to her next challenger, Baba Pahalwan. The bout lasted just 1 minute and 34 seconds when Ms Banu won the match. He retired from professional wrestling after that.

Following this, Ms Banu's weight, height, and diet all made news. She became known as the "Amazon of Aligarh". Accounts from her surviving family members suggest that her strength, combined with the conservative attitudes of the time, made her leave her hometown of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh for Aligarh.

In a 1987 book, author Maheshwar Dayal wrote that Ms Banu's fame attracted people from far and wide as she fought several bouts in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. However, she also faced challenges from people who were infuriated by her public performances. Once, she was also booed and stoned by fans after she defeated a male opponent. 

However, this never stopped Ms Banu from pursuing her passion. In 1954, she triumphed over Vera Chistilin, dubbed Russia's "female bear". The same year, she announced she would go to Europe to fight wrestlers there.

Personal life 

But after defeating Ms Chistilin in Mumbai, Ms Banu appeared to vanish from the wrestling scene. According to BBC, this was the point where her life changed. Quoting Feroz Shaikh, her grandson, the report said Ms Banu's coach, Salam Pahalwan, did not like her going to Europe. He tried preventing her from doing so. 

According to her neighbour Rahil Khan, Ms Banu was left with fractured legs after her coach beat her. "She was unable to stand. It healed later, but she could not walk properly for years without a lathi..." the report quoted Rahil Khan.

Sahara, the daughter of Salam Pahalwan, stated that he had wed Ms Banu, whom she regarded as her stepmother. However, Ms Banu's grandson, who lived with her until her death in 1986, disagreed. "She indeed stayed with him, but never married him," the report quoted Mr Shaikh as saying.

According to BBC, Ms Bani made a living from selling milk and renting out some buildings. When she ran out of money, she would sell homemade snacks by the roadside.