Tag Archives: Amin Patel

Teen Karate Champion from Mumbai Breaks Barriers and Stereotypes with Asia Cup Gold

Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Education Today / Times of India Oct 08, 2025 / 208 Views

In a modest karate training hall inside Nagpada Neighbourhood House NGO in Mumbai, one teenager’s sharp punches and swift footwork command immediate attention. Akku Sarah Shabbir, a 15-year-old karate student and Class 11 commerce student at Maharashtra College, has become a symbol of pride for her community after winning gold medals at both the District Sports Organisation (DSO) competition and the Asia Cup held at Andheri Sports Complex.

Organised by the Asian Shito-Ryu Sports Karate-Do Association, the Asia Cup saw participation from countries like India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Malaysia. Sarah clinched her gold by defeating a tough Sri Lankan opponent—solidifying her status as a rising star in the sport.

A Champion in the Making

Sarah’s achievements have made her a mini-celebrity not just in her karate club, but also in her college and in the Mumbai Central neighbourhood, where she lives with her family. Despite following a traditional lifestyle—wearing a hijab like most girls in her community when outdoors—Sarah is clear-eyed and focused about her sporting ambitions.

“My family, friends, and neighbours are happy I got gold medals in back-to-back competitions,” said Sarah, modest about her success but aware of its growing significance.

Her father, Shabbir Akku, a perfumer by profession, has supported her from the beginning. “We are religious, but I didn’t stop Sarah when she said she wanted to join a karate club,” he said, highlighting a shift in perception among parents in conservative communities.

Breaking Stereotypes and Inspiring Change

Sarah’s achievement has stirred conversations and pride within her community and beyond. Congress MLA Amin Patel, who recently felicitated her, emphasised the broader social impact:

“Muslims are often blamed for not encouraging their daughters to go out and make a career in games and sports. Sarah’s success punctures this stereotype. We will do whatever we can to encourage such budding sporting talents.”

For many community leaders, Sarah’s story is about more than just sport. Asif Farooqui, Congress general secretary and a court member at Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia, expressed how symbolic her victory is:

“This young girl from Mumbai Central has made us all proud with her achievement in Karate. Her dedication and spirit are truly inspiring. The world is changing fast—our girls see everything happening around them and are becoming more aware, strong, and determined. It’s wonderful to see this new confidence, especially among Muslim girls, who are proving that with opportunity and encouragement, they can shine in every sphere.”

The Coach Behind the Confidence

Sarah’s journey wouldn’t be possible without the guidance of her coach, Salahuddin Khan, who has been instrumental in training hundreds of students—many of them girls—from 25 different schools across the city.

Khan sees Sarah as part of a larger transformation happening in traditionally conservative pockets:

“I train students at 25 schools and the majority of my students are Muslim girls. I see a positive change in the attitude of parents. They are increasingly aware of the benefits of Karate and why girls need to learn it.”

He also credited Shama Taraporewala, the former principal of an Anjuman-I-Islam school, for supporting and encouraging students to take up martial arts and other empowering activities.

Karate as a Tool for Empowerment

For Sarah, karate isn’t just about medals—it’s about self-confidence and safety. “Earlier, I was a bit timid and shy to converse with strangers. Now, I am confident of tackling anyone who tries to misbehave with me,” she shared, showing just how transformative the discipline has been in her life.

Her words reflect a growing realisation among girls and their families about the practical benefits of martial arts, especially in urban settings where issues of safety and harassment are real concerns.

Looking Ahead

With gold medals already to her name and community support backing her, Sarah’s future looks promising—not just as an athlete, but as a role model for young girls across India. Her journey from a shy teenager to an Asia Cup champion is a story of resilience, cultural balance, and empowerment through sport. As more girls like Sarah step onto the mat and into the limelight, they are not just winning matches—they are shattering outdated narratives, proving that faith, tradition, and ambition can coexist, and that every girl deserves the chance to dream—and fight—for her future.

source: http://www.educationtoday.co / Education Today / Home> News / October 08th, 2025

Only 10 Muslim MLAs in New Maharashtra Assembly

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MAHARASHTRA :

In the recently concluded assembly elections, only 10 Muslim candidates managed to secure victories in the 288-seat Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha, marking a huge representation gap for the state’s 11.56 % Muslim population. The last assembly too had the same number of Muslim MLAs (around 3.5%).  A total of 420 Muslim candidates contested the elections, with 218 running independently and 150 fielded by smaller parties. However, major political outfits largely overlooked Muslim representation, fielding limited candidates.

The Mahayuti (BJP+NCP+Shiv Sena) alliance, which swept the elections with a clear majority, included three Muslim winners: Shiv Sena’s Abdul Sattar and NCP (Ajit) candidates Sana Malik and Hasan Mushrif. The Samajwadi Party’s Rais Shaikh secured the largest victory margin, winning the Bhiwandi seat by 52,015 votes, while Congress’s Amin Patel followed with a 34,844-vote margin in Mumbadevi.

AIMIM’s Mufti Abdul Khalique narrowly won the Malegaon Central seat by just 75 votes, highlighting the intense competition in certain constituencies. SP’s Abu Asim Azmi secured the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat with a margin of 12,753 votes, while Congress’s Sajid Khan Pathan won Akola West by a mere 1,283 votes. Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Haroon Khan claimed the Versova seat with a margin of 1,600 votes.

Congress faced criticism for fielding only nine Muslim candidates despite earlier promises of 18, leading to a potential vote split. AIMIM fielded 12 candidates, the highest among all parties. The BJP-led Mahayuti benefited from schemes like the Ladki Bahin Yojana, which reportedly swayed Muslim women voters. Observers also noted Ajit Pawar’s influence in consolidating minority support for the alliance. Results showed slim margins in several constituencies, raising questions about vote division and electoral strategies. The data underscores the challenge of translating numerical presence into political influence for Maharashtra’s Muslim community.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / November 24th, 2024

Hasan Mushrif, Abdus Sattar win in Maharashtra state elections

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MAHARASHTRA :

Mumbai:

Hasan Mushrif and Abdus Sattar, both ministers in the last Cong-NCP alliance government, have won the assembly elections from their respective constituencies, officials announced Sunday after counting of the votes.

Hasan Mushrif, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate, has won the election from Kagal assembly seat.
Hasan Mushrif, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate, has won the election from Kagal assembly seat.

While Hasan Mushrif, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate, has won the election from Kagal assembly seat, Abdus Sattar of the Congress Party has won from Sillod.

Both the Muslim leaders have won from these seats second time in a row.

Elsewhere in Maharashtra, Abu Asim Azmi defeated his nearest rival of BJP by over 10,000 votes. This is the second time Azmi has won this seat. In the 2009 state elections Azmi had won from two seats – Mankhurd and the other Bhiwandi.

His son Farhan Azmi who contested the elction from Bhiwandi lost the seat to Shiv Sena’s Rupesh Matre.

Farhan Azmi had contested this seat in the 2010 by-election ater his father Abu Asim Azmi resigned from this seat. He had however lost the election then also.

Arif Naseem Khan, former Minister of Minority Development Department, Awkaf and Textiles, won the Chandiwali assembly seat for the fourth time in a row.

Amin Patel, Chairman of Maulana Azad Corporation, won from Mumbadevi assembly seat for second time in a row.

The Mumbadevi assembly constituency saw a swing of Muslim votes in favour of the MIM, and it was feared that Amin Patel would lose the election becuase of the division of secualr votes. However, a sensible voting by the Muslim community helped him to win the election.

Imtiyaz Jaleel and Dr Gaffar Qadri of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) who contested the 2014 Maharashtra elections from Aurangabad (Central) and Aurangabad (East) assembly seats respectively have won the elections, it is officially announced here after the vote count.

In Aurangabad (Central) AMIM’s Imtiyaz Jaleel, a NDTV reporter, has won the election by over 18,000 votes whereas in Aurangabad (East) constituency Dr Gaffar Qadri won by a huge margin.

It is a historic win for the Hyderabad based party which had fielded a total of 24 candidates in this elections.

Waris Pathan has defetaed his nearest rival Madhu Chavan of BJP by over 1,200 votes. Congress candidate Madhu Chavan came a distant third.

Byculla and Madanpura aeas in this constituency had earleir seen a mssive swing of Muslim votes in favour of the AIMIM.

Maharashtra president Syed Moeen is leading by a comfortable margin, officials announced after 11 rounds of voting in this important city in the Marathwada region.

Syed Moeen had led the AIMIM to victory in 2013 when the Hyderabad party won 13 seats in the civic elections.

In Malegaon (Central) assembly seat where 11 rounds of counting have been completed, MIM’s Abdul Malik has secured 11,965 votes. Asif Shaikh of Congress is leading here with 56,868 votes. Sitting MLA Mufti Ismael of NCP is trailing on the second position with 40,839 votes.

Sabir Seth of the Congress party is trailing in Dhule (Central) assembly seat. He is on the fourth position in the seat where the BJP candidate is leading. Raju Kadam Bande of the NCP is trailing on the second position.

In Dhule (Outer) assembly seat, Anil Gote of the BJP is leading by over 10,000 votes.

Rasheed Tahir Momin of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Farhan Azmi of the Samajwadi Party (SP) are trailing behind their rivals in their respective constituencies in Bhiwandi.

While Rashid Tahir Momin is trailing behind the BJP candidate by about 07,000 votes, Farhan Azmi, son of SP Chief Abu Asim Azmi is trailing behind the Shiv Sena candidate by about 04,500 votes.

Asif Shaikh Rasheed, President of Malegaon Congress party, is leading in Malegaon – Central assembly seat.

After the fourth round of vote count, Asif has bagged 25,783 votes whereas his nearest rival and sitting MLA Mufti Ismael of NCP could get just 10,123 votes.

The MIM and Janata Dal candidates were on the third and fourth position with 3,744 and 1,468 votes respectively.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and former Home Minister RR Patil are trailing in their respective constituencies, trends available at 09:00 a.m. in the orning showed.

As the vote count begins in Maharashtra today morning, the leads show that the BJP is set to emrge as the single largest party whereas the Congress is set to face its worst defeat in Maharashtra.

Chavan contested from Karad in Western Maharashtra – a seat held by him and his father in the past.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Politics / Staff Reporter / Sunday – October 19th, 2014