Aishatu Ahmad - Africa’s Trailblazing Female Polo Player
Meet Aishatu Ahmad, a 19-year-old female polo player, photographer and entrepreneur from Northern Nigeria. Growing up, she did not bend to the boundaries laid out by her community and refused to be strong armed or have her dreams be belittled. With strength and determination Aishatu learned how to ride, play polo, win tournaments, become a photographer and an entrepreneur. Last month Forbes Magazine listed her on their 30 Inspirational Women’s list and in the near future she will launch her foundation that will support women who want to learn and play sports in Northern Nigeria.
Aishatu was 16 when she rode a horse for the first time. “I found a passion for polo after engaging with the horses and players at a Kaduna Annual Polo Tournament, three months later I would go on to play in my first polo tournament.” From never riding to playing in a tournament in three short months is incredibly impressive, and on December 17th, Aishatu turned 17, scored her first goal and played and won her first polo match.
She describes the immediate and magnetic energy she shared with horses, and after getting on a horse for the first time, she was ready and eager for her second and third time, but her dream did not come without overcoming difficulties. It is unusual to see a woman on a horse, and her activities did not go unnoticed by her community or her family. She talked about how during her first month of training she was focused on not absorbing other people’s opinions of her. “People would look and say negative things to me, but it just helped to keep me focused on my goal. My first month riding and learning I was focused on not absorbing their opinions of me. Gradually I got used to people staring and talking and then eventually my focus and love for the sport made it so no one’s negative opinions affected me. When I am playing and there is a large audience, I never look out towards them. My focus is on the pitch and my team.”
The pushback was not just from the community but also from her family. She did not tell them right away and would sneak out of her house to go and ride. As mothers do, they notice everything and after about a month her mom put the pieces together. With some convincing she came around and supported her daughters dream and newfound passion. Her father did not find out about Aishatu playing polo until he saw her on TV! “Now I have their support, but it did take a moment for them to come around.”
The barrier of entry for any woman to play polo anywhere in the world can be intimidating. It is a male dominated sport with only a handful of women playing globally, and Aishatu is the only female polo player from Northern Nigeria. She has inspired so many in her community to learn how to ride. “I hope that women and girls look at me on my horse and feel inspired to ride as well. Because I ride and am proud, they are shown that riding is an option regardless of our gender. Usually, I am the first woman they have seen on a horse, but because of me people have started riding and gotten pretty good and that brings me a lot of joy. It is something I am very proud of.”
Aishatu’s influence extends past her community in Northern Nigeria with the power of social media. As of April 12th, 2021 she has 16.4k followers and she is inspiring women around the world to unapologetically achieve their goals. “I get a lot of messages from ladies who want to do sports but lack the support from their homes or from their society to do them. Most people get discouraged by words and the actions of other, but we can’t let them stop us. The people that reach out are often asking for advice, because they are scared to live their authentic self, but I tell them that they have to be brave.”
The flood of outreach and messages to Aishatu has inspired her to create a foundation that will help inspire and support women to play their sport of choosing, from riding to basketball, to football. “I want to help them have a safe and supportive space for them to learn and play. I am planning on opening this foundation soon to give the ladies in Northern Nigeria the encouragement and support they need and deserve.”
If Aishatu could send one message to the world it would be, “A champion can come from anywhere. I am not from a worldly home and polo is known as a worldly sport, a sport played by royals, but that doesn’t mean other people can’t play it. It is like falling in love, you can’t control your heart and passion so follow your passion.”
Be sure to follow Aishatu on Instagram here .