Afreen Hyder, The Inspiring Story of Kashmir's First Female Taekwondo Star

By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam

22 December 2015

Afreen Hyder, Kashmir's first female Taekwondo athlete, born in Srinagar in 2000, overcame social barriers and disruptions with strong family support. She won multiple national/international medals, including silver at China Open 2024 and bronze at 2025 Nationals, inspiring girls while aiming for an Olympic medal.

Key Point's

·         First female Taekwondo athlete from Kashmir.

·         Overcame social barriers and disruptions in Srinagar.

·         Strong backing from mother Shiraz and family.

·         Multiple national/international medals; silver at China Open 2024; bronze at Senior Nationals 2025.

·         Olympic medal for India; inspire girls in sports.

Let's keep dreaming, let's keep hustling, and let's keep inspiring each other".

Afreen hyder

Emerging from the challenging circumstances and turbulent life in Jammu and Kashmir, Afreen Hyder has once again brought Kashmir into the spotlight. Afreen's dedication to her goals has made her a shining star of India.

Afreen Hyder has the distinction of being the first female Taekwondo athlete from Jammu and Kashmir, and her achievement has inspired many other female athletes to pursue their dreams in the world of sports.

Afreen Hyder was born in 2000 in a place called Bemina in Srinagar.

Her mother's name is Shiraz, and she raised Afreen Hyder alone.

Her mother's courage and determination instilled in Afreen Hyder a strong will to survive and a passion to achieve something significant.

Afreen's journey to success in the challenging circumstances of Kashmir has not been easy; she has faced many social and political problems.

Afreen Hyder started learning Taekwondo at the age of just 7 at her school (Delhi Public School, Srinagar). At that time, the culture of sports for girls in Kashmir was very limited or virtually non-existent, and society held conservative views, with some believing that martial arts were only a "man's sport" and that women should not participate in such activities.

She faced social pressure and taunts from society on numerous occasions.

Many other talented girls in Jammu and Kashmir had to give up their dreams because their parents did not support their participation in sports and did not want to face social pressure. In this respect, Afreen Hyder proved to be very fortunate.

She received complete support and encouragement from her mother, who ignored social criticism and stood by her daughter's dream, becoming Afreen's primary support system and role model.

In an interview, Afreen Hyder said about her mother:

"My only inspiration is my mother. She has shown immense faith in me and has shown me the world, which has given me the right opportunities."

Her father also provided significant support to his daughter and stood by Afreen Hyder's decision in every way.

In a border state like Jammu and Kashmir, it's difficult to imagine a normal life, as unusual activities occur there frequently.

Afreen Hyder also faced many such problems; her continuous training was disrupted by sudden curfews or political lockdowns.

Several times, Afreen Hyder even had to miss school competitions.

For an emerging athlete, proper training is crucial. In an interview, Afreen Hyder mentioned that her family bore the expenses of her training and travel.

Medals and Honours

Afreen Hyder has been so dedicated to her goal that she earned her first gold medal at the young age of just 9 years. She won this medal at the 3rd Inter-School Open Taekwondo Championship held in Sonipat.

Afreen Hyder won her first national-level gold medal in her sports career at the age of just 10 (2010).

In 2013, she won a gold medal at the National Taekwondo Championship held in Chandigarh.

In 2017, she became the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to officially win a bronze medal at the Junior National Championship (Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh).

In the same year, she also won her first gold medal at the CBSE Nationals.

Afreen Hyder has secured the first position at the All India level and has previously been among the top 100 female Taekwondo athletes in the world.

In 2024, Afreen Hyder won a silver medal at the China Open International Taekwondo Championship held in Shaoxing, China.

Her achievement has become a topic of discussion in the international arena. Commenting on her achievement, Jammu and Kashmir party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said:

“It gives me immense pleasure to see our young boys and girls showcasing their talent and skills in various fields on national and international platforms. My heartfelt congratulations to Afreen Hyder for this achievement. I wish her continued success in her future endeavours.”

Afreen Hyder currently aims to win a medal for India at the Olympics.

She is continuously working to improve her ranking and qualify for the Olympics.

Additionally, she wants to bring about changes in the sports system in Kashmir so that more champions can emerge from the region. She wants to continue being a role model for local young girls and encourage them to participate in sports.

Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession who writes on women, politics, communal harmony, and Islam. She holds a master’s degree in Education.

URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/afreen-hyder-female-taekwondo-star/d/138095

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