Malaysia's 'Phoenix': Hijab-wearing wrestler breaks barriers

A hijab-wearing, diminutive Malaysian wrestler known as "Phoenix" cuts an unusual figure in the ring, a female Muslim fighter taking on hulking opponents in a male-dominated world.

Dressed in flame-patterned trousers, a black and orange hijab and top, Nor Diana uses sophisticated moves to throw and pin down her larger rivals in front of hundreds of cheering spectators.

Standing just 155 centimetres (five foot, one inch) tall and weighing 43 kilograms (six stone, 10 pounds), her speed and agility make her a match for almost any opponent.

Nor "Phoenix" Diana wrestles with a male opponent during a match.

Social media hit

The 19-year-old has become a hit on social media and spurred the interest of other headscarf-wearing women.

"Even though I am Muslim, and I wear the hijab, nothing can stop me from doing what I love," she said in the ring after winning a recent fight.

She takes part in local outfit Malaysia Pro wrestling (MyPW), which has similarities with hugely popular World wrestling Entertainment from the United States.

"Phoenix" cuts an unusual figure in the ring.

Phoenix

Nor Diana, a pseudonym as she prefers not to reveal her true identity, seems an unlikely wrestler -- outside the ring, she is shy and soft-spoken, and her day job is working in a hospital.

But when she puts on her wrestling gear, she transforms into the fearsome Phoenix.

"As Phoenix, I'm a totally different person. She may be small, but she can do things that people can't imagine," Nor Diana told AFP at a wrestling gym in Puchong, outside Kuala Lumpur.

"When she's in the ring, she's fast and always wants to win," she explained.

Nor "Phoenix" Diana reacting backstage after winning the Wrestlecon championship belt.

Growing popularity

Nor Diana first started training as a wrestler in late 2015, following her teenage dream of becoming a fighter, and made her debut a few months later.

She has soldiered on, with her family's full support, and enjoyed her greatest success so far in early July, defeating four men to be crowned Malaysian wrestling champion.

There are about 30 fighters and matches take place every two to three months in front of a few hundred supporters.

Nor Diana is one of just two women wrestlers.

Agence France-Presse