With superior skills in traditional Bengali lathi khela (mime fighting with sticks), Manjurin Sabrin Choudhury Ruponti is an inspiration for many girls, ready to learn self-defense and contribute to conserving the traditional art.
Ruponti is a university student in Dhaka but rushes to demonstrate her lathial (stick fighter) skills, whenever the game is organized in her hometown of Kushtia Sadar.
In 1933, Ruponti’s grandfather Sirajul Islam Choudhury founded the Bangladesh Lathiyal Bahini, an organisation aiming to preserve the country’s traditional martial game.
Since then Bangladesh Lathiyal Bahini has been organising a two day ‘Lathi Khela Utsab (festival),’ every year or two on the Kushtia Government College grounds. Hundreds of lathials join from across the country to demonstrate their skills on the festive event.
The late Sirajul was known as the best lathial in his area. Ruponti began to learn the game at the age of seven from her mentor Osman Sardar, a student of Sirajul’s.
Ruponti says: “To learn from Master Osman is like learning from my grandfather himself. Master Osman was a dedicated teacher who wanted to pass on my grandfather’s art to me.”
However, lathi khela is in the blood for Ruponti’s family and is practiced not only by its male members. Ruponti’s aunt Hasna Banu, is the first female lathial of Kushtia. Ruponti’s sister Manjurin Afrin, and cousins Shahina and Sharmin, also practice the game.
Ruponti’s stick fighting skills came to light in 2016, when she mesmerized the audience thronging the lathi khela festival in Kushtia.
Apart from festivals in her hometown, she has performed at other festivals in various districts, including at the TSC of Dhaka University on the occasion of the Bangla New Year.
When Ruponti was asked how she was inspired to learn the sport, she said: “My father never had any sons, so he wanted to pass on the family tradition to his daughters. My mother was no lathial but she always motivated us to learn the art of the game. That is why I never doubted my ability and did my best.”
Ruponti wants to carry on her grandfather’s tradition and unrealised dream of combining martial arts and lathi khela with the hope that one day the game would spread across the world.
She says: “My grandfather wrote several books about combining martial arts and lathi khela. He worked hard to organize lathi khela events and spread the game across the country.”
Ruponti’s cousin Abdullah Al Mamun, general secretary of Bangladesh Lathiyal Bahini, says: “A concerted effort is needed to save the traditional art of lathi khela. Girls can also learn the game as training in self-defense.”
