Kashmiri kickboxing champion's academy gets Rs 10 lakh aid

Days after world kickboxing champion Tajamul Islam slammed the Jammu & Kashmir government over lack of sports facilities, the academy that trained her has been granted Rs 10 lakh for upgradation of sports infrastructure.
Bandipora-based Ali Academy in North Kashmir, which has trained eight-year-old Tajamul, has been granted an amount of Rs 10 lakh for the upgradation of sports infrastructure on the directions of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who is also President of J&K State Sports Council, an official spokesman said.
A few days ago, the world's youngest kickboxing champion had blamed the state government for not providing adequate equipment and practice space.

Tajamul last year scripted history at the World Kickboxing Championship in Italy where she won honours for India by becoming the first player ever from the sub-junior category to clinch a gold medal.
She is the second sportsperson to criticise the state government for failure to provide sports infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, Parvez Rasool, the first cricketer from the Valley to play for India, had said that if things did not improve in his troubled state he would be forced to play for a different domestic team.

On the grant of aid to Ali Academy, Secretary Sports Council, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra said "This has been done in view of the request made by international kickboxing champion Tajamul Islam who is getting trained in the same academy".

While lauding performance of the academy, Parra reiterated the government's commitment to provide all support in building quality sports infrastructure in the state.
"The Sports Council encourages every such initiative that works for the betterment of sports in J&K," he added.
He said the request for construction of Indoor Sports Stadium at Bandipora is also under consideration.