Who is Bilal Ahmad? Taekwondo player from Kashmir's Budgam district to represent India

Bilal Ahmad, a Taekwondo player from the terror-prone Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, spoke to ANI about his journey in the sport from practicing in Srinagar in harsh winters to receiving the opportunity of representing India in international events in a recent interview. Hailing from a family with weak economic conditions, Ahmad has gone on to win medals in national-level championships. Speaking to ANI, Ahmad shed light on his career and revealed his plans for the future.

Who is Bilal Ahmad?

Growing up in Budgam, Ahmad made his way into Taekwondo in his school days. With the help of determination, the youngster fought against all odds and became a national-level player. His coach had a massive role to play behind his career as he hailed from a middle-class family. Ahmad’s father is a government employee and his family has a total of three brothers.

It is pertinent to mention that the sport could be played only in the cities of Jammu and Kashmir, as the villages and far-flung areas lack the required sports facilities which pave the way to a successful career for an athlete. “I joined a school in Budgam in class 5th. A coach named Syed Shuja in that school guided me in martial arts, from then onwards I started practising martial arts and it is still going on. He gave me coaching for a year after which I continued practising at home for 3 years,” Ahmad said. 

He then went on to add that the guidance from coach Syed Shuja helped him play at the district, state, and national levels. “He also informed me that I could take part in an international championship. I am from a middle-class family. I could not meet my expenses. So my coach supported me a lot. He was taking a low fee and also paying for me out of his own pocket since I was playing well,” the Taekwondo player added. 

More about Bilal Ahmad's career-

Ahmad played in his first district-level tournament in 2012 and got selected for the state level soon after. A first position finish then earned him selection for the national level. Shedding light on his career, he revealed his first national-level event was in Punjab, where he failed to return with any medal.

“My first national-level event was in Punjab where I could not get any medal. But I won a silver in my national-level event in Delhi in 2014,” Ahmed said. After a gold medal finish in the nationals, Bilal will now represent India at an international event in Bangkok.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: ANI)