Amidst the turbulence in the Kashmir Valley, a 7-year-old managed to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Youth Karate Championship (AYKC) – using his time off from school due to the unrest for a brilliant achievement.
Hashim Mansoor, who is a resident of Bandipora, now has a medal to show for his efforts – a significant positive for a state which doesn’t have too many sports resources. A Times of India report adds that his training was sponsored by his coach Faisal Ali, who runs a small karate academy in the district.
In a conversation with India Today, he expressed his happiness over his pupil’s victory and stated how significant it was as “there are not much resources for sports in Kashmir.”
“I have been practising for this ever since I was a year old. It was difficult, but I still won the fight. I am really happy,” Hashim told ANI.
Hashim won the sub-junior category (below 25kg) after defeating his Sri Lankan opponent. The tournament was organized by the All India Youth Karate Federation and 19 countries took part in it. Notably, 8-year-old Tajamul Islam, who became India’s first player to fetch gold in the sub-junior category at the World Kick-boxing Championship was also trained by Faisal Ali.
Remarking on Hashim’s victory, J&K Youth Karate Federation president Ghulam Nabi Tantray said that it was possible because of the hard work of his coach Fasil Ali.
(Feature image source: ANI)