Kulsoom Hazara tributed in HBL PSL6 as Our Heroes

Kulsoom Hazara, a famous karate superstar of Pakistan tributed in Pakistan Super League season six tournament with a cash prize of 240,000 PKR as “Our Heroes”.

It was such an amazing experience and I’m honoured to be given a tribute as “Our Heroes” at HBL PSL 6 sponsored by Inverex Solar. Thanks to all of you and my PKF family for always being on my side. #HBLPSL6 #InverexSolar #KulsoomHazara pic.twitter.com/R7dpsmsKLY

— Kulsoom Hazara (@kulsoomkarateka) February 23, 2021

Who is Kulsoom Hazara?

A female karate superstar ,Kulsoom Hazara was born on September 4, 1988 in Quetta. The youngest of three sisters and a brother lost his mother when she was only two years old. When she was five years old, her father took her to a local karate club.

The club belonged to her cousin Sarwar Ali, who was raised by his father. Sarwar later married Kulsoom's eldest sister Fatima. Sarwar was not only a karate teacher, but also a master tailor.

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Life was normal until another traumatic turnaround. Kulsoom's father died suddenly of heart failure when she was only nine years old. At that point, her sister Fatima and brother-in-law Sarwar Kulsoom took over custody and her second sister Zehra while their brother moved with his own family.

Karate became a way to get the young and calm Kulsoom out of his depression. She spent more and more time in the club as she improved her fighting skills. Due to the precarious security situation in their region, the family decided to emigrate to Karachi in 2000.

Sarwar reopened his tailoring business and opened another karate club in Karachi, while Kulsoom resumed his training and studies in a new town. Sindh Games 2000 in Hyderabad was Kulsoom's first major tournament, where she proved herself with three gold medals in her weight class.

After that she took part in the National Championship Karate Ladies, where she won bronze. The tragedy hit you again. Sometime in 2003, her brother-in-law Sarwar was shot in Karachi. After her mentor left, a curtain fell over Kulsoom's dreams.

The question also arose how the three sisters would earn a living. Her sister, a widow, then embroidered at home, while the other sister, Zehra, started teaching Persian, her native language, to help stabilize her finances.

Both older sisters encouraged the younger to continue their studies and karate, and Kulsoom did not disappoint either.

“I lost my parents when I was young, but it was the most traumatic to lose my brother-in-law,” says Kulsoom Hazara, now 31. “It changed my whole life. I want to create a name for myself and my family now. More importantly, I want to make my late mentor proud, and karate is all I have left.

Her passion enabled Kulsoom to take a giant leap in her career when she became the national women's karate champion, and she did the same year Sarwar was murdered.

Kulsoom is still the best female karateka in her weight class of + 61 kg. “I come from a conservative background, but the support of my sisters and my late brother-in-law gave me confidence.

It was her encouragement that got me through,” she says. “I was angry about everything, but this sport reassures me. It became my anger management tool,” she says. She has been a prolific national recording artist since 2002 and has won dozens of gold medals.

She even had the distinction of scoring hate drug gold medals at up to four national events in a row. Kulsoom briefly represented the army and later moved to Wapda. She continues to represent the department at all events nationally.

Her karate club in Karatschis Lyari also plays an important role in her life. The company with other masters such as Saadi Abbas helps her further improve her skills.

Kulsoom would always represent Pakistan internationally, and this opportunity presented itself during the 4th Islamic Women's Games in Tehran in 2005, where she took fifth place. She finally reached the podium in 2010, winning two bronze medals at the South Asian Games in Dhaka.

She says she likes it when the Pakistani flag is raised abroad because of something she does. Kulsoom's brilliant performance also led to her returning home with a gold and silver medal from the 2016 South Asian Karate Championships in New Delhi.

Kulsoom completed 13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu, Nepal, she won a gold and silver medal despite an injury, securing a place as a prominent karateka woman in South Asia. Outside of sports, Kulsoom also received his Masters in Health and Exercise from Karachi University.

She now sees herself as a fitness consultant and coach helping future female karatekas. “I want to work for karate women in a relevant role as a coach, for whom I can also set up a training facility, but I would appreciate government support,” she says, urging parents to encourage their daughters to practice karate.

Kalssom being awarded with Pakistan prestigious award “Pride of Pakistan ” in 2020, Kalssom shared her views on this honour.

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