Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Martial arts exponent Pathan Jameel Khan represents the other side of Indian sport?

Well, yes, if his ordeal in getting even a decent job or sponsorship to take part in international sporting events is any hint. For this 40-year-old Jameel, winner of 15 gold, 13 silver and 17 bronze at the national and international events including two 2016 World Cup silver in the US is now struggling to meet both ends for want of financial support.

At a time, when cash incentives are being showered on truly deserving outstanding achievers, Jameel gently asks what is that he should do more to get the attention of the powers-that-be.

A native of Mandamarri village in Adilabad district, Jameel, whose father is a vegetable vendor, moved over to Hyderabad to pursue his passion in karate. His diligence and consistency at the highest level have won acclaim including an offer from a martial arts organisation to settle down in US with a chance to represent US. But for the love of the country, he spurned that and came back to India with hope of getting some help. But, as things stand, Jameel, a BA from Dr.Ambedkar Open University, is still staring at an uncertain future – even shunted out from one rented accommodation to the other for not being able to raise even the rental by the first week of the month. His lone source of income – training about 20 karate kids in Mehdipatnam – is always doubtful as it depends on the payment of fee by the students. Still, he has the grace to train about 500 girls of a Government-aided school free of cost to make them good in self-defence daily even now.

It may be recalled here that Telangana Government has been pretty generous in showering cash incentives on some of the deserving athletes in the recent past, running into lakhs but the fact that there are some big achievers like Jameel who are out of its radar is a sorry story of the powers-that-be not getting the right info. “May be, I am paying a price of not having the right connection or Godfathers to take up my cause,” moans a dejected Jameel even as he pursues the dream of representing India at this age in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where karate is being introduced for the first time.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – September 29th, 2016