Eight-year-old Kashmiri kickboxer gives trouble-torn valley reason to smile

At the break of dawn on November 25, a joint operation by the Indian Army and the police was underway in Bandipora’s Manzpora village, around 30 km away from Srinagar.
Tajamul Islam won gold in the Under-8 World Kickboxing Championship
Tajamul Islam won gold in the Under-8 World Kickboxing Championship

HYDERABAD : At the break of dawn on November 25, a joint operation by the Indian Army and the police was underway in Bandipora’s Manzpora village, around 30 km away from Srinagar.


A soldier and two militants were killed at the end of a gunfight that ensued. Not too far from the bloodied spot lies Tarkpora, belonging to the same district. People there were waking up to rejoice the exploits of a girl from their village at the recently concluded sub-junior World Kickboxing Championship in Andria (Italy).

Tarkpora’s residents have been in a celebratory mood for nearly three weeks, since Tajamul Islam — barely eight years old — bagged gold in the U-8 category on November 11. The event saw participants from more than 90 countries, and the Indian girl won six fights in five days to grab the medal.


The result brought her much-deserved adulation from all quarters, but the journey has been marred by a lot of impediments. Lack of funds, ongoing conflict in the region after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s death on July 8, her father’s unstable employment, and the lack of sports infrastructure in the state.


“My father is a driver in a construction company. And now, he has lost that job too as the company has shut down,” revealed Tajamul to Express.


When asked why she chose an unconventional sport like this, she replied nonchalantly: “Why does everyone ask the same question? I just saw the sport on TV and got hooked. That’s it.”


It was under the tutelage of coach Fasil Alli, 26, that Tajamul was able to beat all odds. “My academies train more than 3,000 pupils in 18 different forms of sports. I can guarantee that Kashmir has talented athletes in abundance. We just do not have the right infrastructure.”


Fasil has been training Tajamul for the past one-and-a-half years, and he even made his protege stay at his home to make her battle-ready for the world championship.


The reason for taking the step was simple. “She had to maintain her weight below 29kg. Otherwise, she could have been disqualified. Keeping a close watch on her diet wouldn’t have been possible had she stayed at her home,” Alli said.


Tajamul’s father Ghulam Mohammed Lone was initially sceptical about the decision. “I thought she might get hurt. She is just a small kid,” he recalled.


While she had the backing of her family and a dedicated coach, making a trip to Italy seemed improbable as the family struggled financially. The 14th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles — that also runs the school where Tajamul is studying — came to the rescue. “They offered `1.95 lakh, which made it possible for my daughter to go,” Ghulam reminisced.


With the  valley slowly coming back to life after more than four months of unrest, the story of Tajamul is bound to inspire millions living in the state.
vishal@newindianexpress.com

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