- By Namrata Vijay
- Sat, 04 May 2024 11:40 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
On May 4 Google Doodle is honoring India’s first professional woman wrestler Hamida Banu. A Bengaluru-based artist named Divya Negi created the doodle in which Banu is surrounded by local plants and animals. This also shows that it was the first time that a woman took up an earlier male-dominated sport, especially during the 1940s and 1950s. "This Doodle celebrates Indian wrestler Hamida Banu, who is widely considered to be India's first professional woman wrestler," the Google Doodle description read.
Why is Hamida Banu being honored by Google today?
Hamida Banu, who was India’s first woman wrestler was born in the early 1900s in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Between the 1940s and 1950s, she won more than 300 competitions.
May 4 was selected as the day to honor Banu as it was today in 1954 when she beat the famous wrestler Baba Pahalwan. He stopped playing this sport after this loss.
"On this day in 1954, the wrestling match that earned Banu international recognition and acclaim was reported - she had defeated famed wrestler Baba Pahalwan, in just 1 minute and 34 seconds, after which the latter retired from professional wrestling," the Google description added.
Who was Hamida Banu?
Hailing from a family of wrestlers in the early 1900s from Aligarh, she picked up the sport at a time when women’s participation in athletics was looked down upon by society. But Banu was quite passionate, and she played against men and openly challenged all male wrestlers and told them that if she lost in any of the matches then she would marry that male wrestler.
Banu also competed in international tournaments as she defeated a Russian woman wrestler named Vera Chistilin within 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. 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”, the Google doodle further said.
