Srinagar: When Bilquis Mir started her career in water sports, she faced ridicule from a predominately patriarchal society in Kashmir.
It was 1998 and water sports were alien to Kashmiri women. Undeterred by the mental harassment and social pressures, she participated in sports events. As a result, she was selected for state and national competitions where she earned name and fame and silenced her critics.
Come 2024, Bilquis achieved the rare feat of becoming the first Indian woman on the Paris Olympics jury. Not just Indian but she will also be the first Muslim, the first Kashmiri, and the first canoeist from India.
“For every athlete, the Olympics is a dream. Alhamdulillah I achieved it. It is no less than a roller coaster journey. I started my career in 1998 from Dal Lake and landed in the Olympics. I wish every girl who dreams achieves it,” she said.
Bilquis was also a jury member at last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Bilquis began her coaching career in 2007 at a year-long canoeing and kayaking training camp across India, continuing until 2013 before returning to Jammu and Kashmir. In 2011, she became the head coach of the Indian women’s kayaking and canoeing team. In 2020, the Asian Canoe Federation appointed her as a judge for the 18th Asian Games Canoe Sprint in Indonesia.
Bilquis Mir has represented Jammu and Kashmir in 12 national competitions. She competed in the ICF Sprint Racing World Cup in Kayaking and Canoeing in Szeged, Hungary, in 2009. She also represented India in the Asian Championships in 2007 and 2008.
While Mir’s journey has been marked by her relentless pursuit of excellence, navigating the difficulties of establishing a career in an environment that has not always been supportive of women’s sports, she believes her journey will open doors for other aspiring female athletes in Kashmir and the rest of the country.
“I want to inspire girls to achieve greatness in sports at the international level. My mission has been to uplift and empower young women in sports. Representation matters. I hope my journey encourages more girls to take up sports and strive for excellence,” she said.
Bilquis said there was a need for handholding and support for local athletes for greater results in sports. “We need to support our local heroes. We have quality athletes here who need support. There has to be a professional setup where athletes get proper support from all the quarters,” she said.
Bilquis also said that sports need to be taken seriously at the elementary level, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. “I think every school needs to adopt one particular sport and then target to create good athletes,” she said.
Bilquis said a sports culture needs to be developed in Jammu and Kashmir to compete with other states. “ We don’t have women coaches here. Girls need to be encouraged to choose sports so that we have good women athletes in the future,” she said.
