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Kashmir’s karate kid emerges Asian champ
A primary school student from Bandipora district won the gold medal at the Asian Youth Karate Championship, becoming the second child in the sub-junior category to bring laurels to Kashmir in a fortnight.
A primary school student from Bandipora district won the gold medal at the Asian Youth Karate Championship on Tuesday, becoming the second child in the sub-junior category to bring laurels to Kashmir in a fortnight.
Seven-year-old Hashim Mansoor scored the distinction at the ongoing championship in New Delhi by defeating a fellow-contender from Sri Lanka. Karate champs from 19 countries are participating in the three-day-long event.
Last month, eight-year-old Tajamul Islam had won the gold medal at the World Kickboxing Championship in Italy. Both Islam and Mansoor were trained by the same coach, Faisal Ali.
Mansoor received a gold medal, a certificate and a memento from the organisers. The event was organised by the All India Youth Karate Federation.
A class 3 student, Mansoor began training a year ago at a small village academy run by Ali in a tin shed. He had little by way of training equipment — a number of mats, a few footballs, a couple of punching bags and gloves that children wore in turns.
“Hashim practised very hard for the tournament. I am happy,” said Mansoor’s father, Peerzada, a small-time handicrafts businessman from Kashmir.
Ali and Mansoor could not be reached over the phone.
