Agent of change

Faisal Ali Dar, the first Padma awardee in sport from Jammu and Kashmir, is active in the valley’s socio-economic sphere

- TARIQ BHAT

FAISAL ALI DAR watched Enter the Dragon when he was in class X. He was so enamoured by Bruce Lee that he started mimicking the martial arts master’s stunts. He persevered until he had perfected some of Lee’s on-screen moves. His friends and neighbours told him that his passion would bring him nothing. But he continued to pursue it with determination.

The journey that Dar embarked on in 2003, from a village boy to a martial arts trainer, motivational speaker and social worker, is a gripping tale of hard work, dedication and sacrifice. He started with wushu and switched to kickboxing in 2008. In 2010, he won silver medal in the Asian kickboxing championship. Initially, his efforts to woo youngsters to the sport did not evoke much response. “People thought it was a waste of time,”he said.

At his village of Bagh in Bandipora, 70km north of Srinagar, the lack of proper training and equipment impeded his efforts to establish himself as a kickboxer. “When I was training for kickboxing, I would use nylon slippers to practice punching with other kids, as I did not have money to buy pads and punchers,” he said. “I did not know the rules. I needed a coach and proper equipment which I could not afford.”