In the ring with Britain’s first Muslim female World Champion kickboxer
- Text by Alex King
- Photography by Paula Haydock and James Callum
“I actually did feel very guilty, I had a lot of inner conflict for many years when I first began this sport,” explains Ruqsana Begum. “I felt I was maybe going against my religion and it really, really used to tear me apart.”
Raised in a traditional Muslim family of Bangladeshi origin in Ilford, Essex, Ruqsana long battled the contradiction between her strict upbringing and passion for Muay Thai kickboxing.
After keeping her training secret from her family for four years, in April 2016 she defeated Sweden’s Josefine Lindgren Knutsson to be crowned World Kickboxing Champion in the Atomweight (48–50 kg) class.
Ruqsana is the only British Muslim woman who is a national champion in her sport and has pushed for more Muslim women to get into combat sports, creating a sports hijab in 2015.
But to succeed in the ring, upbringing, background and religion don’t mean anything. “Talent alone is not enough, it’s all about sacrifice,” Ruqsana explains.
Ruqsana Begum: World Champion was produced and directed by Paula Haydock and James Callum.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Remembering the radical anti-nuclear Greenham Women’s Peace Camp
Life at the Fence — In the early ’80s, a women’s only camp at an RAF site in Berkshire was formed to protest the threat of nuclear arms. Janine Wiedel’s new photobook revisits its anti-establishment setup and people.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A new documentary traces the rise, fall and cratering of VICE
VICE is broke — Streaming on MUBI, it’s presented by chef and filmmaker Eddie Huang, who previously hosted travel and food show Huang’s World for the millennial media giant.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Nottingham’s forbidden skaters are repaving the city’s landscape
Skate Nottingham — Having once been a UK skateboarding hub, a Y2K bylaw banned the sport in the city’s public areas. Now, a new generation is demonstrating the value that they bring to the local area, and recalibrating attitudes across the board.
Written by: Molly Baker
Capturing what life is really like at Mexico’s border with the USA
Border Documents — Across four years, Arturo Soto photographed life in Juárez, the city of his father’s youth, to create a portrait of urban and societal change, memory, and fluid national identity.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In search of resistance and rebellion in São Tomé & Príncipe’s street theatre culture
Tragédia — A new photobook by Nicola Lo Calzo explores the historical legacy found within the archipelago’s traditional performance art, which is rooted in centuries of colonial oppression and the resilience of people fighting against it.
Written by: Miss Rosen
We are all Mia Khalifa
How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.
Written by: Alya Mooro
