Sreelatha Menon/Trissur

FOR THE GIRLS OUT THERE….screams the caption of the latest Instagram post of the hijab-wearing Hadiya Hakeem. She artfully maneuvers a football against the backdrop of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Hakeem is a professional freestyle footballer - a combination of artist and footballer. The only difference between her skill and the game is that she doesn’t need a team of 11 players.

Hadiya, who is from Kozhikode, Kerala, stumbled upon freestyling when she was 12 years old. She used to play football while in school in Qatar. When she was 12 years old, her family returned to Kerala, and she desperately wanted to continue playing football.

Hadiya Hakeem in Dubai

Unfortunately, there were no girls’ football teams near her house or school. But she did not want to give up, as she was too attached to the football. She found freestyling tutorials on YouTube and taught herself with hours of dedication and practice inside her home.

She began to post videos of her freestyling on YouTube, attracting thousands of views. Her clout as an influencer grew as many young people started following her. Her videos caught the attention of the FIFA organising authorities in Qatar in 2022, and she was invited to attend the World Cup as an influencer.

She even got to perform during break time before the 40000-strong crowd. Freestyle football, while linked often to some traditional games played in South Asia, has been practised in magic shows and later by famous football players like Maradona. Today, there are championships for this sport owing to its recognition at the international level.

Hadiya Hakeen says her journey so far has been fulfilling.

Hadiya Hakeem 

In her Instagram handle, she says: My journey in freestyle football has allowed me to merge athleticism, artistry, and influence, to take on diverse roles as a performance artist, athlete, and content creator.

Flaunting her performance outside the Burj, she says joyfully that the post has got a million likes so far.

She says she feels grateful to the sport, which has enabled her to engage with global audiences and connect with industry professionals across football, freestyle football, and sports media.

Her last moment of glory was in the stadium in Doha before an international audience that had gathered to watch the FIFA World Cup in 2023.

Hadiya Hakeen practising her game

After finishing her graduation from Kozhikode, she is busy now with her performance as well as with her role as a social media content creator.

One of her Instagram posts reads: I carry power, purpose, and a football. Not just for me; it's for every girl watching.

Most of her Instagram posts are about #empowerment and women in sports, as if it were a subtext to her passionate pursuit of freestyle football. It has given her an identity, and with her identity, she has got freedom, her own space under the sky.

Hadiya has tried to express her freedom and her individuality and has not let anything about her traditions or culture hamper it. In one of her posts, which says "Your clothing is oppressive’’ she mocks the belief and goes on to freestyle effortlessly wearing a hijab gown. Celebrating Hijab day, she posts Hijab is beautiful, wear it with love, wear it with pride, while she is seen playing wearing a scarf as always.

Hadiya Hakeem: Flying High

She wears trousers and a loose top, and a head scarf most of the time when she is freestyling. And she even does endorsements for those kinds of clothes in passing…Found the perfect outfits for my football fandom!

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She has migrated to the UAE for good, where she continues to follow her passion. She is now married and in a humorous announcement, she says: Found someone to juggle life with…

But the subtext of all her posts is: Be the change you want to see.