Latifah must choose between her faith and her passion! 

Earlier this month, Latifah competed at the USMC Women’s National and World Team Trials and won the right to represent the United States at the Pan-Am Championships in Mexico in July 2022. However, shortly after qualifying, Latifah was told that she could not adhere to her faith and wrestle at the Pan-Ams. 

USA Wrestling has communicated that Latifah must wear a singlet in accordance with United World Wrestling (UWW) uniform guidelines or she cannot compete. USA Wrestling has given Latifah and her coaches only until June 1st, 2022 to inform them of her decision. They have given her two options: 

1. Wrestle in the singlet, based on the rules as they are right now, therefore not adhering to her religious commitments. OR
2. Forfeit her spot on the team and her right to compete, given that there are no religious accommodations to support her and wrestlers like her. 

Latifah has made it clear that she will not waver in her commitment to her faith but would absolutely love the opportunity to be able to compete in Mexico.

Latifah is a wrestler. She lives the wrestler's life through and through - early morning weight training, multiple practices a day, eating dinner while watching the matches of wrestling’s greatest, and falling asleep visualizing takedown after takedown - to wake up and do it again the next day and the next and the next, squeezing in schoolwork and chores around her passion.  

Above all that, Latifah is a practicing Muslim who, in accordance with her faith, dresses in modest clothes and a hijab (headscarf). Despite the untrue and unfair rhetoric, thousands of Muslim women do extraordinary things every day, all while wearing their hijab and adhering to their faith.

Against all odds, Latifah is an outstanding wrestler. While she has incredible support from local coaches and she received a tremendous amount of encouragement from fellow wrestlers, coaches, and referees that she’s met along the way, she does not have the backing and support of major clubs, teams, or schools. She does not have sponsorships or endorsements from major brands or wrestling organizations. Despite only having her two sisters to train with, and not having a massive coaching staff to help guide her, at the age of 14, she began competing in wrestling and winning - all while wearing her hijab and dressing modestly.

We know wrestling in a hijab and modest clothes IS possible. It has been done before. What do people in the wrestling room wear most often to practice? It’s not a singlet. What are high school wrestlers now allowed to wear in competition? Hint - also not a singlet. What does the Iranian Muslim women's wrestling team wear? (and yes they exist - click here and here to see pictures of them) Not a singlet! Latifah wears the same thing that the Iranian women’s wrestling team wears - knee-length pants strongly secured to spandex leggings, a long sleeve shirt also strongly secured at the waist and wrists, and a tightly secured headscarf sewed directly onto a rashguard.

Wrestling is truly one of the most inclusive sports in the world. At its heart wrestling does not care who you are or where you come from. Wrestling cares about work ethic, grit, dedication, and commitment to that very last whistle. Latifah is one of the hardest working wrestlers in the room at any given time - ask any of the coaches that have worked with her and they will tell you just that - and she does this while wearing her hijab and remaining modest! 

Latifah should have the ability to test herself against the very best women's wrestling has to offer. She has earned the opportunity to represent the United States in the Pan-Am Championship fairly! She put in the hours of work, she sacrificed and fought for her place on the team! She has proven that she belongs and is capable, time and again. USA Wrestling knows this - they have granted her permission to participate in national tournaments in her hijab and modest clothes. She has competed in several state, national, and international tournaments from 2019 to 2022. These are some of her accomplishments: 

1. 2019 - 1st Place, Phil Portuese NE Regionals
2. 2019 - 1st place, McMaster University Invitational, Canada
3. 2021 - 4th place Cadet division - Women's Nationals & World Team Trials
4. 2021 - 4th place Junior division - Women's Nationals & World Team Trials
5. 2022 - 1st place NYS Girls Folkstyle Championship
6. 2022 - 2nd place U20 division - Women's Nationals & World Team Trials
7. 2022 - 4th place U23 division - Women's Nationals & World Team Trials

You can watch some of her matches here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh47tTtszj2uVV1VLImRbCT_aTiRxpb-j 

United World Wrestling, Mr. Nenad Lalovic, Mr. Jean Daniel Rey, UWW Committee members, and USA Wrestling - please let Latifah wrestle! Give her the chance to represent the United States on one of the most accomplished wrestling mats in the world! Give her the opportunity she worked so very hard to earn - to test her skills and efforts against other female wrestlers in Mexico.