Onika Maheshwari/ New Delhi

Hamida Bano had challenged men in the 1940s and 1950s and said that she would marry whoever could defeat her in a dangal. The first wrestling match that gave Hamida true recognition was with Firoz Khan of Lahore in 1937. Hamida defeated Firoz in that match. People started calling her ‘Amazon of Aligarh’. Wrestling is a favorite and very old sport of India.

However, wrestling has always been dominated by men. It is believed in our society that wrestling is a man's game because women are weak. But Hamida Bhanu defeated men at their own game and became India's first professional female wrestler. Appreciating the success of Hamida Banu, Google has made her Google Doodle.

Hamida Bano was born in 1900 in Uttar Pradesh. When women's participation in sports was discouraged, she entered the field of Pahalwani (wrestling) to challenge this practice. However, her passion overcame the stereotypes and she soon became the first (recorded) female wrestler in India, paving the way for a revolution.

Wrestler Hamida Bano was born in Mirzapur. She had come to Aligarh for wrestling training under a wrestler named Salam. It was from here that he started his professional wrestling career. There was no female wrestler in the country with whom she could create a ruckus. In such a situation, he started challenging the male wrestlers.

Wrestler Hamida Bano was born in Mirzapur. She had come to Aligarh for wrestling training under a wrestler named Salam. It was from here that he started his professional wrestling career. There was no female wrestler in the country with whom she could create a ruckus. In such a situation, he started challenging the male wrestlers.

At that time, boys and men considered it an insult to a female wrestler. Many wrestlers even refused to fight him. A wrestler known as Chhote Gama had also refused to fight him at the last moment. In another match in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, when he defeated a man named Shobha Singh Punjabi, wrestling fans abused him and threw stones at him. The situation became so bad that the police had to be called.

At that time people thought that dummy wrestlers were deliberately introduced to make the match entertaining. However, this was never proven. Indian lioness Hamida Bano had also defeated Russia's 'female bear' Veera Chastelin in less than a minute in Mumbai in 1954. Then she had said that she would go to Europe to wrestle with European wrestlers.

It is said that she used to drink 6 liters of milk, 3.25 kg of soup and 2.25 liters of fruit juice every day. Along with this, she used to eat one chicken, one kg mutton, 450 grams butter, 6 eggs, about one kg almonds, 2 big rotis and 2 plates of biryani. Out of 24 hours a day, she used to sleep for 9 hours and exercise for 6 hours and used to eat the rest of the time.

ALSO READ: Army's unique institute that uses faith to cement India's diversity

Hamida Bano's trainer Salam Pehalwan did not want her to go to Europe. Angered, Salam broke Hamida's legs and arms by hitting her with a stick. After this she disappeared from wrestling. It is said that later she used to run her household by selling milk.