Al-Qalam 
The girls say they love the idea of suiting up for sword fighting – it makes them feel strong and brave for battle. Nabeelah Sheikh spoke to them.
Johannesburg sisters Imaan and Aaliyah Cassim have become national fencing superstars, and are excited that they will soon showcase their talent on the international stage.
Aged 17, and 15, the Cassim sisters have been selected to represent South Africa at the Junior Cadet African Fencing Championships, to be held in Accra, Ghana, in February.
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. The sisters began participating in the sport about three and a half years ago after their mother first expressed interest in fencing.
“I was always intrigued by the sport of fencing, and as I’m getting older, I wanted to take up something new and exciting. Fencing was always at the back of my mind and I have always wanted to learn to fence,” said Farhana Cassim, the girls’ mother.
She said after she started fencing, the girls expressed interest too.
“We were fascinated by Ibtihaj Muhammad, a USA fencer who fences in her hijab. I was excited and motivated by her. I Googled fencing near me, and there was a place near where we live, and we started doing lessons. The girls also wanted to join at this point and learn the sport. So we started fencing together. We initially took it on as something we could do for fun and it grew into a real passion. We started doing really well. Our coach started pushing us and said we should take the sport seriously, and so we did. This resulted in us starting to participate in several competitions,” said Cassim.
During their first fencing competition, Cassim said they were beaten “like you won’t believe”. But, it only motivated them to do better.
“In their second competition, both the girls did well and got bronze. They went from one competition to the next, worked hard and made progress along the way. Then they started participating nationally. We trained continuously. COVID slowed down things for a while, and after COVID, we got better, and we got stronger. We got to all the national competitions. Last year, the girls were invited to the All African Games in Nigeria, but they couldn’t afford the trip at the time,” said Cassim.
She said Imaan and Aaliyah have consistently worked hard, and they now rank number one in both their categories in Gauteng, as well as nationally in South Africa. Their ranking has qualified them for international competitions.
The sisters are looking forward to the opportunity to participate internationally for the first time, after losing out on several other international opportunities, because of funding issues. They initially battled to secure funding to travel to Ghana to participate next month, but after word got out about their outstanding achievement, their community rallied together to support them. Part of their trip has also been funded by Waqf organisation, Awqaf SA.
Both sisters are currently being home schooled, and are also completing their Hifz, while juggling pursuing their fencing dreams.
“The reason we chose fencing amongst all other sports is because it intrigued us. There is just something about putting on a mask, and holding a sword in your hand, which makes one seem brave and strong. It also feels as if you’re always thinking about your next move, which keeps our minds active and busy all the time. It conditions not just your body, but also your mind. It’s a sport that shows us that girls can also play with swords,” said Imaan Cassim.
She said they were extremely humbled by the fact that they will be representing the young women of South Africa, in Ghana next month.
“We love the feeling of suiting up and feeling like you’re going for a battle. We are just two ordinary girls and never thought for a second that we would get this far,” said Imaan Cassim.
Awqaf SA CEO, Zeinoul Abedien Cajee said the Cassim sisters were extremely talented and it was important to support them as a community.
“We discussed this with our committee members and decided we should support them financially. It’s an opportunity at an international level, and they’re representing our country, which is a big deal. And as a community, we have a duty to show our support, especially because both the girls are doing their Hifz, they wear hijab. If the community supports these types of initiatives, it’s a way to uplift and empower talented young people,” said Cajee.
The sisters encourage other young women to get involved in sport, and to find something they’re really passionate about.
“Don’t think that if you’re not good at one type of sport, or if you lose, then that’s the end. This is only the beginning to finding your passion, and a sport that suits you,” said Imaan Cassim.
The sisters will jet off to Ghana in the second week of February.
