Displaying a remarkable feat on the occasion of International Women’s Day, a nine-month pregnant woman Sheela, performed silambam at an event which was organised by the local association connected with this ancient Indian martial art at Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur.

Belonging to Anaikattu village which is close to Pattukottai, 29-year-old Sheela told the media that she gave this performance after duly consulting the doctors.

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Tamil Nadu is the birthplace of this Silambam and it comes from the Tamil word ‘Silambu’, which means sound. The Tamil Sangam literature also mentions this style.

Sheela martial artist who is also a karate blackbelt holder started at 6.45 a.m. and finished her performance at 1.35 p.m. She took three breaks during this feat – once for breakfast and twice for drinking water.

Chatting with the media, she said: “I have been interested in sports right from the age of 7 and have learned Silambam, boxing, karate and participated in various competitions and won many prizes. Since I am pregnant, it was only with mental courage that I was able to achieve this feat beyond physical exertion.”

Sheela was trained by her father’s elder brother and has been coaching students for the last seven years. She was also a physical education teacher at different higher secondary schools.

She is equally adept in boxing and powerlifting too.

"I completed a boxing training course at Netaji Institute of Sports in Kolkata. In power lifting I was given the strong woman of Tamil Nadu award a few years ago. I got a national medal in Federation Cup powerlifting in 2010.”

Praising her husband S Arockiadass, she said: "Without my husband's encouragement and support I would not have attained my targets," Sheela said.

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