Meet Saima Ubaid, Kashmir’s first woman power-lifter

Securing a gold medal in a power-lifting competition in Srinagar, Saima Ubaid has become the first woman from Kashmir to chose a career as a power-lifter.

A power-lifting competition for women was organised for the first time by Jammu and Kashmir Powerlifting Association. In December 2020, the 4th Kashmir Powerlifting, Benchpress, and Deadlift Championship was organized. Saima secured a gold medal by lifting a weight of 255 kgs.

A mother, Ubaid was inspired to take up this sport by her husband, Ubaiz Hafiz, who is a powerlifter himself. She said that she wanted to be an example for the women who cut their own wings by societal pressure.

This is a sport where we rarely see a woman taking part in it. However, Ubaid is breaking stereotypes and proving everyone wrong, for all the right reasons.

Saima has done her Bachelors in Home Science from Government College for Women, Srinagar. She is now working as a trainer for females and simultaneously work-out for herself.