“Strong youth build a strong nation” Anita Karim Hunza
When I see the importance of mixed martial art (MMA) and how it is vital for women. I decided to jump into this game and be a role model for every woman in the country. Women should participate in healthy sports to remain active. MMA gives self-confidence and self-defense.
“We are taught fear since our childhood, we are told that girls are weak and cannot move forward. MMA has taught me confidence and made me strong.”
Anita Karim Hunza
In Pakistan, pursuing a career as an MMA professional for women is very challenging. Anita mostly practices her routine exercise with her brothers because, in Pakistan, there are not many girls in MMA with whom she can train. Everyone considers it as just a ‘Fight’ and they never think beyond. It not only teaches us how to fight but makes our mind strong, it gives us the courage to move forward and very productive game for depressed peoples.
Jiu-Jitsu is a ground game and it was conducted for the first in Pakistan for females in PGC 5, on which Anita secured a gold medal and best athlete award. Her nickname is “Arm Collector”.
Anita Karim Hunza is a pro-fighter who represents Pakistan on an international level. Anita started her career from childhood from Taekwondo in Hunza with her teacher Manzoor and her brother Ali Sultan. She got strong support from the doorstep and that ease her pursue the MMA passions. She always credits her success to the support given by her family of 3 brothers. She never heads on the negative comments of society. In return, she proved them wrong by hard work and dedication.
MMA teaches you techniques that how to save yourself if any kind of accident happens and we are trained to defend ourselves in such situations.
Karim was born in Karimabad, Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, in a family of MMA fighters. Karim, along with her brothers, Uloomi Karim Shaheen, Ehtisham Karim, and Ali Sultan, founded the MMA gym, “Fight Fortress”, which is one of the first MMA training centers in Pakistan.
Karim won the One Warrior Series (OWS) on 28 February, 2019, against Indonesia’s Gita Suharsono. She was awarded Rs. 100 000 by the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Hafeez-ur-Rehman. Karim was given a shield as appreciation for her representation of Pakistan by the Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon.
Karim also emerged victorious with 7 gold medals and 1 silver medal at the Pakistan Grappling Challenge (PGC) 2017-2018. Anita had first success in her second Pro MMA fight against Gita Suharsono from Indonesia in One Warrior Series 4 under the flag of ONE Championship and then again unanimously won her match against Estonia’s Marie Ruumet in One Warrior Series 10.
