Champion selling meat

A national gold medalist for three consecutive years Shyam has been cutting meat to keep his hearth burning, writes Ramesh Babu.

After heavy workouts this international taekwondo player has to rush to the nearby butcher’s outlet. Not to buy meat but to eke out a living. National and international honours are many in his kitty but Shyam Jamaluddin (28), a first class graduate, knows it well that these medals won’t fetch him food. He has to cut, size and mince the meat to keep his hearth burning. Hailing from a poor family he has to look after his aged parents and other family members as well.

A national gold medalist for three consecutive years (2003-05) and a South Asian Federation games participant Shyam has been knocking at many doors for a job. Several promises came on his way but all failed to materialise hitting at mere technicalities.

HT Image

Since the Olympic-recognised Korean martial art form is new to the country, several sports bodies haven’t recognised taekwondo. Many sportspersons have advised Shyam to switch over to other streams that can easily fetch him a government job but the love for his sport prevented him from doing so.

His triumph has come against heavy odds. Son of a butcher, his father’s meat stall was demolished by civic authorities while widening the road. Wallowing in poverty and penury he climbed the higher echelons of this sport with sheer grit. But time has now come that he cannot pursue the sport just for the love of it.

"See I am fed up with the apathy of authorities. Last year I got injured during the national selection trial at Guwahati. I took a personal loan of Rs 60,000 to undergo a ligament re-construction surgery at a hospital in Coimbatore," the national champion explained his woes.