Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Jameel Khan Patan clinched gold, bronze in world championship

For over two decades, Jameel Khan Patan has been waging a grim battle against all odds even while quietly collecting medals on the international stage; 18 gold, 12 silver and 18 bronze, to be precise. That’s not all. The martial arts champion also has to his credit four gold, two silver and six bronze medals in World Cups since 2016.

Yet, this spirited Hyderabadi continues to run from pillar to post in search of financial support to sustain his passion. “With the specific goal of making it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which karate is being introduced, I am still pursuing my love for martial arts,” he says.

For someone who earns a modest salary by training some schoolchildren in and around Toli Chowki, all that he looks for is some kind of support that would help him realise his goal of making it to the Olympics. “Compared to the support I got in the US with special exemptions to train and compete, the response back in my hometown has been disappointing,” says Jameel.

“Well, I am not from a high-profile sporting discipline but a medal in any World Cup is not presented on a platter. You have to put in a lot of effort. I fail to understand what more I must achieve to get sponsorship,” the 43-year-old asks.

Despite his latest gold win in the adult breaking division, bronze in black belt forms and black belt weapons division in the World Cup final last month in Virginia, he is “struggling to overcome the fact that he remains an unknown personality in the world of sports when so many incentives are being showered on others”. “All I can hope is for some positive response even as I try my best to make it to Tokyo.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – February 26th, 2019