Forget Messi's moves, this Malaysian girl's freestyle football skills will amaze you
Sporting a headscarf, Qhouirunnisa' Endang Wahyudi balances the ball on her soles and later on forehead.
By PTI | Updated:
Agencies
(All images: AFP)
KLANG (MALAYSIA): The slick freestyle football moves of a Malaysian Muslim girl have boosted her into the spotlight in a country where the sport is dominated by men.
Sporting a headscarf, Qhouirunnisa' Endang Wahyudi executed deft moves, juggling the ball before balancing it on her soles and later on her forehead. "The headscarf is not an obstacle," the 18-year-old student told AFP at a park in Klang, a city about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of the capital Kuala Lumpur. "It's normal. It's just how you handle it." In freestyle football, players use all parts of their body to perform often acrobatic tricks with the ball. More than 60 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million people are Muslims. Many Muslim women in the country don the traditional hijab and loose-fitting clothing in line with Islamic requirements of modesty.
Islam does not stop women from playing sports, Qhouirunnisa' said. The teenager started freestyle football in 2016, training and learning tricks by watching videos on YouTube.
"With freestyle, you can be free as long as you don't show (your body)," Qhouirunnisa' said, adding that she has the full support of her family. Football is one of the most popular sports in Malaysia, despite the national men's team being ranked a dismal 171st in the world. Fans across the country often watch matches live on TV well past midnight, cheering foreign teams in competitions like the World Cup.
"Freestyle in Malaysia is mostly (practised by) men," Qhouirunnisa' said, but added that girls in the country were becoming more interested in it. She trains four to five days a week, balancing, kicking and juggling the ball for up to three hours in every session. Her freestyle tricks have a growing online audience: her Instagram account has more than 72,000 followers. Qhouirunnisa' hopes to one day meet her idol, teenage French freestyle star Lisa Zimouche.
"Being a woman is not an obstacle," she said. "You can be active in sports."
ADVERTISEMENT
Ambanis, Bachchans, Jack Ma Catch The World Cup Live In Russia
1/12
The who's who of the world flocked to Russia to catch the action at the World Cup. From the Ambanis (Mukesh, Nita, and Anant) to the Bachchans (Amitabh and Abhishek), B-town and India Inc jet set to the country to cheer for their favourite team.
In Pic: Abhishek Bachchan with Nita Ambani (L), Vita Dani with Jack Ma (R).
The who's who of the world flocked to Russia to catch the action at the World Cup. From the Ambanis (Mukesh, Nita, and Anant) to the Bachchans (Amitabh and Abhishek), B-town and India Inc jet set to ..
Read More
Mukesh Ambani was spotted in the stands with Amitabh Bachchan watching the semi-finals.
(Videograb: Instagram)
Mukesh Ambani was spotted in the stands with Amitabh Bachchan watching the semi-finals.
(Videograb: Instagram)
JSW Group’s Jindal family made the World Cup a family outing. Parth Jindal shared a picture with father Sajjan, mother Sangita and wife Anushree on social media.
JSW Group’s Jindal family made the World Cup a family outing. Parth Jindal shared a picture with father Sajjan, mother Sangita and wife Anushree on social media.
Father-son duo, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, watched the World Cup semi-final match between France and Belgium at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Russia.
Junior Bachchan is a well-known football enthusiast and even owns a club in an Indian League.
(Image: Instagram/AbhishekBachchan)
Father-son duo, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, watched the World Cup semi-final match between France and Belgium at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Russia.
Junior Bachchan is a well-known football e..
Read More
The Puri family marked its presence in Russia. Daughter Amrita shared a picture with father, HDFC Bank MD Aditya Puri, and mother Anita on social media.
The Puri family marked its presence in Russia. Daughter Amrita shared a picture with father, HDFC Bank MD Aditya Puri, and mother Anita on social media.
Junior Bachchan was spotted taking a selfie with Nita Ambani at the game. Ambani was in Russia for the FIFA World Cup with husband Mukesh and son Anant.
(Image: Instagram)
Junior Bachchan was spotted taking a selfie with Nita Ambani at the game. Ambani was in Russia for the FIFA World Cup with husband Mukesh and son Anant.
(Image: Instagram)
Vita Dani, chairperson, 11Even Sports, struck gold, when she met Alibaba’s Jack Ma during the semifinals between England and Croatia on Wednesday.
(Image: Instagram/VitaDani)
Vita Dani, chairperson, 11Even Sports, struck gold, when she met Alibaba’s Jack Ma during the semifinals between England and Croatia on Wednesday.
(Image: Instagram/VitaDani)
Vita Dani, an avid football fan and the co-owner of football club Chennaiyin FC was accompanied by husband Jalaj Ashwin Dani as they watched France deafeat Belgium in Russia.
(Image: Instagram/VitaDani)
Vita Dani, an avid football fan and the co-owner of football club Chennaiyin FC was accompanied by husband Jalaj Ashwin Dani as they watched France deafeat Belgium in Russia.
(Image: Instagram/VitaD..
Read More
Chennaiyin FC co-owners and football fans Abhishek Bachchan and Vita Dani took out time in the middle of the game between England and Croatia to take a selfie.
(Image: Instagram/VitaDani)
Chennaiyin FC co-owners and football fans Abhishek Bachchan and Vita Dani took out time in the middle of the game between England and Croatia to take a selfie.(Image: Instagram/VitaDani)
'Drishyam' actress Shriya Saran was in husband Andrei Koscheev's homeland for the World Cup. Saran posted pictures from the Belgium vs France match. The actress tied the knot with Koscheev, a national-level tennis player and entrepreneur, in March this year.
'Drishyam' actress Shriya Saran was in husband Andrei Koscheev's homeland for the World Cup. Saran posted pictures from the Belgium vs France match. The actress tied the knot with Koscheev, a nationa..
