Becoming the youngest female lifter wasn’t an easy task but Maryam Mohammed’s focus helped her achieve it
Maryam Mohammed lifting weight during the tournament
Bengaluru:
Among the many champions who participated in the event, it was 13-year-old Maryam Mohammed who became the youngest female lifter to set a deadlift record in the Push-Pull Championship. Sports establishment Professional Raw organised the first championship at Onyx Fitness which Mohammed was a part of. There were over 300 athletes from across the country who registered themselves for the event.
It’s not the first win for the young lifter either. Speaking to CE, she says, “It’s the fourth competition that I have won so far. I started powerlifting two and half years ago, when the pandemic started and schools went online.” Her father, Mohammed Azmat, who is a powerlifter himself, has been doing it for over three decades now. “He’s my biggest inspiration. He’s the one who trains me and my younger brother has also started participating in competitions now,” Mohammed says.
She spends her weekdays on school work and uses her weekends to train. The basement of their home has been converted into a gym set-up which has helped her practice more. “I know there are many strong people out there but all I do is focus on the bar and just lift it. There’s nothing else to do,” she says, adding that her younger brother is more focused, something she is working on.
While Mohammed is hoping to get better and win more awards, her father encourages another strategy. “Medals can always be achieved but if they grow up without character, it won’t be of any use,” he says, pointing out that Mohammed always grew up watching him practice in their home set-up. “After she was born, my wife needed my help at home. So, I set up a gym to spend more time at home. Maryam grew up watching me lift weights and when she was finally ready, she showed interest,” he explains.
He adds that neither of the children was ‘forced’ into following in their father’s footsteps. “Seeing them be happy with what they want to do is what I encourage them to follow. They were never forced to follow my footsteps but it’s definitely an icing on top for them to have shown interest,” Azmat says.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Anila Kurian, Express News Service / April 18th, 2022
Inayat Ali Mulki, one of the promising leaders of this generation, has been appointed as the general secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) under the strong leadership of D K Shivakumar.pix
Inayat Ali started his political career as a grassroot level worker, taking up the responsibility as the NSUI president for the Mulki block of Dakshina Kannada district.
He then continued to serve the Congress party as National NSUI general secretary and as the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee general secretary, working under the guidance of the late Oscar Fernandes, Mukul Wasnik, Ashok Gehlot and Rahul Gandhi.
Inayat Ali expressed his humble gratitude for this new role in the Congress party and promised to continue his noble work for the overall betterment and the upliftment of the society.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Media Release / April 09th, 2022
Amid the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka, another hijab-clad student Lamya Majeed from Karnataka has bagged seven gold medals and two cash prizes in M.Sc Botany at the 102nd convocation of the University of Mysore.
Majeed, a native of Mangalore district is currently working on her master’s thesis in the University of Mysore. She opted to study M.Sc Botany but didn’t have anything specific in her mind. As the years passed and she developed an interest in the subject and wants to engage in research works to help farmers.
Interested in plant pathology and plant disease, Lamya has also applied to go abroad for more research work, especially in the UK. She has also cleared the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).
Speaking to THG, Lamya said, “I’m a very average student and didn’t expect to get this much. But I really like the subject and my dreams are to do research in the field of Life Sciences. I had good company with me who also had similar dreams are like-minded people. We would all support each other and some of my best friends were like good support for me. Particularly, my parents, they’re my greatest support.”
When asked if she faced any obstacles during her journey, the gold medalist said, “I didn’t face any obstacles from my family but some other people have done it. Especially, because I opted for regular science courses, you know, the general Indian mentality of engineering and medicine. So my subject wasn’t something that is kind of not even mainstream, especially in my family. There are not many like the people who have done BSc or MSc, everyone took. And people were like because I couldn’t study engineering, I took botany. It’s not something that was hyped, I would say, not the first choice for many people.”
But the good thing is, Lamya said, the environment in her university was really nice. “They really encouraged research. So, I am someone who wants to get into research, which is why I am doing botany. It was a risky move in a way that you know, most of us are expected to just like go into teaching, or do this thing. I want to continue doing a Ph.D.,”
The 23-year-old topper wants to encourage to people to come in this field because basic sciences and research is something that is a thought like only certain section certain people can do but “it’s obtainable and not out of reach for not general public. An average person can dream of being a scientist or researcher,” she said.
With a percentage of 86 in her Pre University Exam and interest in biology, people expected Lamya to go into medicine. She said, “But that was not where my interest was. I have massive respect for whoever takes medicine but it was not for me.”
“I wasn’t really sure what a gold medal is, who select it or how do they select, nothing. It was actually a shock for me because one of my friends called me early in the morning and asked did you see they released the gold medalists’ names and your name is there several times on the list. I was like, oh my god, it was completely unexpected. My parents are so proud of me,” she told THG, when asked what was her reaction when she first got to know that she bagged 7 gold medals.
Daughter of a retired employee of Bharat petroleum, Lamya has worn hijab all her life, and never faced any problem at all. She said, “I have worn hijab and never faced any problem even now.”
“I really don’t want to comment on this (hijab controversy) although, I’m just upset that it has happened. I don’t really want to say anything I’m just wearing that itself is a statement,” Lamya said she doesn’t want to engage in the hijab dialogue.
Further talking of her future plans, she said, “I want to do PhD and become a research scientist in Plant Sciences. So right now I am in the University of Mysore working in the final year of my master’s thesis. I am currently working on that but in the meantime, I have been writing competitive exams. I’m trying to trying to build a portfolio so I can apply for PhD. I would either study here or even abroad because the opportunities are there in many places. I’m just seeing where I can fit the best.”
Conveying a message to especially young girls, the golden girl from coastal Karnataka said that they should trust themselves. “Girls should believe in their own worth and believe that they are as capable as anyone in their peers.”
When we feel like we are not being provided with the right opportunities, or we are not being taken seriously compared to others then we should take a stand because we are worth just as anyone else,” she adding that when given opportunies, “we can do so much more.”
“I believe everyone deserves the rights and opportunities that should be available to every child, regardless if they’re a boy or girl or trans or whatever they are. I want them to feel like they are deserving of every opportunity, deserving of love. They should feel that way and work towards their goals. They should believe in themselves, no matter who they are, and work towards their dream. If they trust themselves in the long run, no matter what people say, they’ll have themselves.”
source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Education / by Rabia Shireen / March 26th, 2022
Powerlifter Gulshan Banu Kazi has not only made her native Udupi, India proud but also Dubai proud by securing a world record among the master category athletes in the Professional Raw Organisations Push-Pull Championship 2022, a national level event held in Bengaluru recently.
This sporting event held at Onyx Fitness was one of the most popular internationally sanctioned national powerlifting championships, consisting of three main events -Bench Press, Deadlifts and Push-Pull.
Record holder Gulshan Banu Kazi is a 43-year-old mother of three, working six days a week at a corporate office in Dubai.
A native of Udupi, she is from Udupi and an alumnus of St Cecily’s and PPC College here .
She is a competitive Powerlifter. Powerlifting is a form of competitive weightlifting in which the contestants attempt three types of lifts in a set sequence, squat, bench press, and deadlift.
Gulshan started powerlifting training in the year 2019.
The training is tough. She trains at least four times a week for about 90 minutes each time and keeps a watch on her nutrition intake and sleep pattern.
She has been participating in a powerlifting competition in UAE and did well there. One of her latest has been the Pro-League National Championship-2022 where she hit five personal records and registered a World Record in Deadlifts (U82.5kg Masters and Open Category) by pulling 180 kgs. She becomes the first woman of India in her age and her weight category to pull off this deadlift.
Last April, she participated in the WPC National Powerlifting Championship securing four gold medals in Bengaluru. Gulshan Kazi won the Best Lifter Award in the Masters’ category.
Gulshan used to be above 100 kgs till 2016 when she suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Resistance training and tracking her food intake enabled her to start losing weight and gaining muscle. Soon after, she was introduced to powerlifting and has been consistent at it ever since.
She is grateful to Raju Pal, her first coach who introduced her to powerlifting and taught her all the basics.
Now she is training under Mohammad Azmat who is a multiple-time national and international medalist in powerlifting, having won medals for India in different federations. He has been coaching her since 2020.
Gulshan Kazi is looking forward to her representation at World Championships and working hard to make India proud.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Middle East / by Daijiworld Media Network – DRD / March 22nd, 2022
The students were received by their family members, who were overwhelmed to see their children back home
Four students of Dakshina Kannada returned from war-torn Ukraine on March 7. Anaina Anna, Claton Osmond D’Souza, Ahamed Saad Arshad and Shalvin Preeti Aranha landed at the Mangaluru International Airport on March 7 morning. They had reached New Delhi on March 6. They were received by their family members, who were overwhelmed to see their children back home.
“We were worried till they reached New Delhi. Relieved to see them back,” said Sandhya, mother of Anaina Anna, whose passport is with the travel agent. She thanked the Indian embassy for arranging another passport and also for helping students return safely to their home towns.
The students and family members met Deputy Commissioner K. V. Rajendra in his office in Mangaluru before proceeding to their homes, on March 7, 2022. | Photo Credit: MANJUNATH H.S.
The students and their family members thanked the Dakshina Kannada district administration, more so Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra, for being in touch with them all through since February 24 till they reached Mangaluru. “He has acted just like our own brother and took all steps to bring our children back safely,” said Claton D’Souza’s mother.
The students and family members met Dr. Rajendra in his office before proceeding to their homes.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by The Hindu Bureau / Mangaluru – March 07th, 2022
Amid severe cold, we travelled in a train standing for almost 17 hours to the Poland border and crossed over on foot, said Pavan Kumar from Moodbidri who returned from Ukraine on March 4.
Indian students stranded in Ukraine. (Photo | PTI)
Mangaluru :
Sheikh Mohammad Thaha, a medical student from Mangaluru, is yet to get out of war-hit Ukraine. Thaha had been staying in a shelter just 10 km away from Kharkiv. Thaha said he spent more than a week in a bunker.
“We are near Poltava, which is 130 km away from Kharkiv, right now and the Indian embassy is expected to send buses to transport the remaining students. We could hear heavy shelling in Kharkiv as it is just 10 km away from the place we were staying.”
Meanwhile, Pavan Kumar from Moodbidri returned from Ukraine on Friday. Pavan said , “We did not have enough food and basic facilities. Amid severe cold, we travelled in a train standing for almost 17 hours to the Poland border and crossed over on foot. We had our final examination on May 22, and, since we did not know the severity of the war, we could not move out on time. There are still over 600 students stranded in Ukraine,” he said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Divya Cutinho / Express News Service / March 06th, 2022
Kalaburagi-based artist Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel will participate in a three-day International Art Festival titled Colours of the World organised in collaboration with Amman Greater Municipality and SMD Foundation at Ras Al Ain Art Gallery, Amman in Jordan.
The festival will be inaugurated under the patronage of Anwar Halim, Ambassador of India in Oman, on Saturday.
Artists from the U.S., Jordan, Canada, Taiwan, India and other countries are taking part in the art festival.
Mr. Patel will display his digital painting works based on Indian culture.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Kalaburagi – March 02nd, 2022
Amidst the blitzkrieg from the Russian military, three students from Kodagu managed to leave the conflict zones in Ukraine and safely returned to India much to the relief of their family members who were pleading for their safe evacuation ever since Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
Alisha Sayyad Ali, Siniya V.J. and M.P. Nirmala, who managed to reach the borders in available modes of transport from their respective cities, returned on Wednesday in the evacuation flights operated by the Indian government.
The girls’ return was confirmed to The Hindu by the Kodagu district administration, whose officials were in touch with the stranded students since the war broke out. A few of the students from Kodagu and Mysuru are said to have reached Poland and are waiting for their evacuation. All of them are safe.
Siniya, who landed in Bengaluru airport on Wednesday evening, was welcomed by her family members.
Jose, her uncle, said Siniya had to walk about 20 km from her shelter in Kyiv along with other students to the railway station to reach Livv. She was evacuated from Budapest in Hungary to New Delhi.
“Minutes before Siniya was supposed to board a flight to Dubai on February 24 from Kyiv to join her sister for a vacation, Russian forces attacked Ukraine and the flights got cancelled. She had to rush back to her accommodation in available means of transport for her safety. Her 40-kg baggage was stuck in Kyiv airport and she flew to India with only a few pairs of clothes as all her belongings are at the airport,” Mr. Jose said.
Alisha, a student of Ivan Francisco Medical University, has also returned.
M.P. Nirmala, a student of Bogomoleth National Medical University in Kyiv, was stranded at a school after the invasion. Her mother Rajani was praying for her early return, pleading with the authorities for her evacuation. Ms Rajani said, “My daughter landed in Delhi this morning and is on her way to Bengaluru.”
Karthik, brother of Likith, who was stranded in Kharkiv with eight others, said his brother and some of his friends have reached Poland. “It was tough for them to reach the borders but they managed and are now away from the conflict zone Kharkiv which is under siege. They are waiting for their turn to board the next evacuation flights,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – March 02nd, 2022
Mehreen Mushtaq Shamim, a teacher from Bengaluru’s Delhi Public School has bagged an award in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the Intel AI Global Impact Festival.
She was selected as one of the four winners of ‘AI impact shapers: Teachers with innovative AI teaching learning practices’. Mehreen has been teaching AI in DPS East for nine years now. The CBSE curriculum had introduced AI as a subject for classes 9-12 in 2019.
Mehreen is credited with empowering 1,218 students with practical knowledge of AI and training over 250 teachers in AI-related multi-disciplinary pedagogies.
“I introduced students to Bootcamps that give them advanced lessons in AI. I could mentor students and inspire them into creating projects, three of which are now pending patents. Our students are interested in technology and can think out of the box very well. If guided in the right direction, they can do wonders,” TOI quoted Mehreen as saying.
Mehreen, who has a masters in computer applications, said the more she learnt about AI, the more passionate she got about the subject. “Knowing the power of AI, I now want to encourage children of other streams — not just science — to take up the subject and upskill themselves,” she added.
The first Intel AI Global Impact Festival was launched on October 15, 2021. It saw the participation of 20 countries from around the globe and the display of more than 200 AI-led social impact innovations. The other winners from the AI Impact Shapers category were from Singapore, South Korea and Poland.
source: http://www.thecongnate.com / The Cognate / Home> Inspiring / by Rushda Fatima Khan / October 30th, 2021
As a young boy, Javeed Mehkri would watch his father spend hours with his favourite car — a 1950 model of Morris Oxford, better known in India as the Hindustan 14. Javeed not only learnt about the car and its mechanics but thoroughly enjoyed the drive in it to and from school.
The passion for the Morris Oxford is living on through four generations with Javeed now transferring the ownership of the car to his 22-year-old son Junaid Mehkri. Junaid shares as much passion for the classic beauty as his father.
The car has an interesting history to it and Javeed gets nostalgic when he settles down to talk about it. Javeed says, “My grandfather, AK Mehkri, purchased it. He was working as the superintendent of engineering in the Shimsha hydro-electric station in the erstwhile princely state of Mysore. The car was initially registered and used in Mysore for three years, after which my great grandfather moved to Bengaluru. The car has been with us since,” explains Javeed.
Almost every member of the Mehkri family has driven the car. Those who revelled at its wheel include MG Mehkri, private secretary to the Yuvaraja of Mysore; Dr MS Mehkri, founder of the Bangalore Medical College; and ME Mehkri, a freedom fighter and a well-known philanthropist. “In fact, the landmark, Mehkri Circle, is named after ME Mehkri,” adds Javeed.
Decades after, the car has been restored with some of its parts being replaced and brought to perfect working condition. “The car was taken care of by Rasheed Mehkri, my late uncle. Rasheed passed away in 2013 and wasn’t there to see the car in running condition,” says Javeed.
However, he admits that the biggest challenge, is to maintain the car. “Spare parts for the American-made vintage and classic cars are available online but you will never find perfect spares for British classic vehicles in India. I got some of the parts replicated here but again you have to personally supervise it to make sure you are not taken for a ride. It is an expensive and time-consuming process to maintain these cars,” he says.
Javeed says among those who were drawn to his car was former prime minister of Nepal, Tulsi Giri. “There’s a church just opposite our house and he used to visit the church whenever he was in the City. Once, he saw the car parked outside my house and he asked me why I didn’t do anything to get it back on the roads. When he returned six months later, he again asked me the same question. I got the same advice from my cousin Sajjad. All this hastened the restoration process,” adds Javeed.
Among Javeed’s prized possession is also a 1960 model Lambretta Scooter — his father’s first purchase. “My father rode it and I used to go to college on it. Now, my youngest son Uzair gets dropped by the scooter once in a while,” he says. Like other youngsters of their age — Junaid and Uzair — love swanky cars but they value their two prized possessions more.
The Morris Oxford has been a regular at Karnataka Vintage and Classic Car Club rally for the last two years. And Javeed loves basking in all the adulation the car draws. “It was during one of the rallies that a lady in a car stopped beside us. She asked me: ‘How old is she?’ I said 65. She smiled and said: ‘She’s my age’. Total strangers admire and compliment me on the car,” he narrates.
(Javeed can be reached on Javeedmehkri@hotmail.com)
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> MetroLife / by Nina C. George / DHNS – Bengaluru , November 10th, 2015
