Dream big: Seven-year-old Tajamul Islam is training hard to win a medal in sub-junior category at the world championship in Italy
On a cloudy afternoon, seven-year-old Tajamul Islam is warming up for a mock bout with her coach on the lush green lawns of her rundown academy. As her coach walks in she clinches her fist with her left palm to pay traditional martial art salute to her mentor.
Minutes later Tajamul roars loudly as she punches and kicks to pin down her coach in a friendly bout.
Meet the real-life Chak de girl who will represent India at the World Kick Boxing Championship in the 26-29 kilo sub-junior category to be held in Italy this November. A standard II student of Army Goodwill School Bandipora, she is the youngest contestant of the Indian contingent who will take on the players from 112 countries.
Born in a poor family, Tajamul is third of the five siblings whose father is working as a driver in a construction company in north Kashmir's Bandipora district. Since her training in 2014, Tajamul has won both state and national championship earning gold medal in each competition.
"I would watch women championship on television. I too wanted to participate in these championship. I informed my father that I would like to enrol myself in the academy, but my mother was hesitant. She was worried that the punches would injure me, but, I told her that I will surely be successful. And here I am eagerly waiting to get many medals ," Tajamul told dna.
At the first sight Tajamul looks a normal bubbly school girl with a short hair who like others wants to try their hand on martial arts. Behind her chirpy nature lies a strong willed girl who is focused and wants to do something for the family, state and the country.
It was this potential that her coach Faisal Ali Dar recognised and groomed her to become a champion at a very tender age. Dar, who heads Alli's Sports Academy, a private martial art school operating from a tin shed in a local stadium here, trained Tajamul so that she could make a mark in this sport.
"Normally I remain busy because I have branches in almost eight districts of the Valley. Given Tajamul's potential, I took time off and trained her myself so that she could achieve big in her life. Her talent was even recognised by the Kick Boxing Federation of India and selected her for the world championship. At seven she is the youngest girl from India in sub-junior 26-29 kilogram category to be selected for the world championship," said Dar.
What makes Tajamul different for other girls is her quality of breaking barriers and penchant for the sports. "Unlike most of the girls, she is not shy. You put her among boys she will get in that grove easily. This attitude is very important," said Dar.
Like martial arts, Tajamul stands first in her class too and wants to be a neurosurgeon. "I am the class monitor. When I stand up in the class there is a pin drop silence. I want to be a doctor. I will be both kick boxer and doctor.
First I will break bones then I will fix them too as a doctor," said Tajamul.
All eyes are now focused on the world championship in Italy with prayers and training going side by side. "We believe in destiny. All our prayers are with her. We hope she will bring laurels from Italy," said Ghulam Mohommad Lone, father of Tajamul.
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