A soft-spoken seven-year-old from a remote north Kashmir village surprised people by becoming the national kickboxing champion and is now ready to represent India at an international event in Italy.
Tajamul won national recognition when she bagged the gold medal in the sub-junior category at 2015 National Kickboxing Championship, held at 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 would be the first ever Kashmiri girl to do so.
I felt so happy that I won and would 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 Islam, National Kickboxing Champion.
The Journey to the Top
Tajamul hails from Tarkpora Village, 65 km from Srinagar and studies in Army Goodwill School. Tajamul recalls the day when she saw many young boys and girls training at a local academy and asked her father to allow her to join them.
Apart from kickboxing, the young martial arts maestro also excels in wushu and taekwondo. She has several titles under her belt, winning both the State-Level Championship and National-Level Championship in 2015.
At the National Kickboxing Championship, the lean and agile youngster faced a 13-year-old but passed the challenge with flying colours, knocking down her opponent to secure the gold medal.
Tajamul comes from a talented family and has siblings who practice martial arts and have participated in State-Level Championships.
It is in their genes. All the siblings are champions, but Tajamul is far ahead of the pack. She has a fighting spirit even as she looks soft-spoken and cute. Do not be fooled by her innocent looks, they are deceptive.Shabnam Kounser, Principal, Army Goodwill School Bandipora
The multi-talented youngster loves to dance and Spiderman is her favourite. She hopes to become a doctor in the future.
The Army has taken up Tajamul’s ambitions and has promised to procure passports for her and her parents so that they can travel to Italy. They have also promised to take care of her finances so that she can continue practising with the best facilities.
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