Kickboxing: J&K girl to represent India at World Championships

Looks can be deceptive and that holds true for Tajamul Islam, a seven-year-old soft-spoken girl from a remote Kashmir village, who is the national kickboxing champion and is all set to represent India at an international event in Italy.

Tajamul won the national recognition when she bagged a gold medal in the sub-junior category at the 2015 National Kickboxing Championship, held at the Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. Her achievement at the national level got her an entry to the World Championships, to be held in Andria, Italy, in November. She will be the first Kashmiri girl to do so.

“I felt so happy to win and will be going to Italy. My mother, who was with me in Delhi, told me that is how you play and knock down your opponent. My father, whom I spoke to on phone, told me that I will get a treat once I reach home and I was treated with my favourite biryani,” Tajamul said.

Tajamul, hailing from the Tarkpora village of Bandipora, 65kms from Srinagar, is now a known name in her village and school — the Army Goodwill School, Bandipora. Besides kickboxing, she excels in wushu and taekwondo.

Her journey began in 2014 when she joined a local academy, which trains young boys and girls in martial arts.