Aliya Multani
Credit: Special arrangement
Bengaluru: Kashim Multani was a wrestler who was both feared and respected. Making a living from his bouts in the mud-filled pits, the ‘Karnataka Kesari’ Kashim’s biggest fan and follower was his little daughter Aliya Multani.
Kashim was also keen on making Aliya a wrestler to keep his legacy going. But another family member -- his wife Shahida’s sister-in-law, Kutuja Multani who was a junior international judoka medallist -- arrived on the scene wanting Aliya to follow her sport. Suddenly, the 10-year-old was staring at a tough choice between wrestling and judo.
“Pappa wanted me to pursue kusti. But maami (aunt) wanted me to take up judo,” begins the now 15-year-old. “Then all the family members decided that in kusti I will have to wear clothes that covers half my body but in judo the entire body will be covered. So they decided judo will suit me better,” says Karnataka’s top Sub-junior judoka in the 48 kg category.
The girl from a family of combat sport athletes, with natural flair and raw aggression, blended in effortlessly and won a gold medal within a few weeks of her entry into judo. A top of the podium finish at the inaugural Mini Karnataka Games in 2022 in Bengaluru kick-started Aliya’s journey in the sport.
The taste of her first medal gave the youngster a direction and purpose. That’s when Aliya decided to leave home in the village of Hidkal in Hukkeri taluk of Belagavi district and move to the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports’ (DYES) sports hostel in Belagavi to chase bigger dreams. From becoming the state champion to winning silver at the Khelo India Judo Women’s League (national level event) in Trissur, Kerala, last year in the Sub-junior section, Aliya is already making a mark and carrying forward her family’s sports legacy.
As her judo career began to bloom and her loved ones witnessed their youngest add medals to her father’s collection, tragedy struck. In January 2023, father Kashim, who also coached wrestlers in Hidkal at his own taalim (training centre), passed away.
“Pappa used to wrestle and also train others. After he returned home from a competition in Mysuru, he fell ill all of a sudden one night and was hospitalised. I had just finished my practice and was back at the hostel when I received a call.
“I rushed home the next morning and reached the hospital. Mere aane tak apna saas rokhe rahe the (he was holding on to his breath till he saw me). Phir... (a heart attack took his life),” recalls Aliya. The death of her biggest supporter and inspiration was a big jolt but Kashim had left Aliya behind only after teaching his daughter all the required qualities of a good fighter.
“When she began in 2022, Aliya was raw and needed moulding. Now, after the tragedy, she is determined,” tells Rohini Patel, Aliya’s coach along with Kutuja at the Nehru Stadium in Belagavi.
“It was her father’s dream to see Aliya fight for India at international competitions. She is really driven to achieve it,” points Rohini, also a former international judoka herself.
Aliya’s rock solid attitude, on the mat and off it, shines through. Without flinching, the 10th grade student of Sherman Kannada Medium School, Belagavi, reiterated her coach’s words by saying: “My father is still with me. I will become an international player one day.”
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Highlights - FACTFILE Name: Aliya Multani Age: 15 years Achievements: Gold: Khelo India Women’s League (South Zone) Judo Sub-Junior, 2024; Silver: Khelo India Judo Women’s League (National Level), 2024; Gold: Mini Karnataka Games, 2024 & 2022; Gold: Cadet State Level Judo Championship, 2025; Gold: State Level Judo School Games (U-17), 2025.
Cut-off box - Fact file Aliya Multani Age: 15 years Achievements l Gold: Khelo India Women’s League (South Zone) Judo Sub-Junior 2024 l Silver: Khelo India Judo Women’s League (National Level) 2024 l Gold: Mini Karnataka Games 2024 & 2022 l Gold: Cadet State Level Judo Championship 2025 l Gold: State Level Judo School Games (U-17) 2025.