New Delhi: Mohammad Umar Bhat (26) from Jammu and Kashmir is a civil engineering graduate, he was crazy about Wushu since he was 7 years old and has been involved in Wushu ever since. He sets an example for the young man to be fearless, passionate and determined. He says that in order to empower young boys, their choice should also be given freedom. Only then will he be able to face any challenge with aplomb. Umar made sure that he could share some of his tips through social media and introduce them to a great and much needed talent.
When Wushu was first introduced to him at a local club called the Bruce Lee Institute of Martial Arts in his area of Budgam, he had a strong desire to learn the sport. He says that “I didn’t even know how to kick and punch at that time”. But after a week, he developed a keen interest in the game, and there was no looking back. The introduction of Wushu has undoubtedly transformed the lives of young boys and girls like Umar.
Mohammad Umar Bhat has won many medals in Wushu at State level, National level and International level. In 2018 he was selected for the International Moscow Wushu Stars Championship and recently he also participated in the Senior National Wushu Championship and won a bronze medal for his state Jammu and Kashmir.
Mohammad Umar Bhat believes that there are many talented children in Kashmir, apart from just introducing them to a sport or skill, they should also be provided with the best training facilities. He wants all the boys and girls to feel free to participate in any sport they are interested in.
Mohammad Umar Bhat also runs a Wushu martial arts club where he is training a lot of boys and grooming them to make it to the national level and eventually play for India. It is surprising that such a young boy wants to empower others as well as himself. He takes great pride in the fact that some of the boys he has coached have gone on to play at the state and national levels.
Support is vital for any athlete to be successful, and for sports to thrive, athlete access to resources is essential as well. Prior to this, Wushu players did not have an arena, due to which they could not practice well. But now Jammu Kashmir Sports Council and Jammu Kashmir Wushu Association have not only provided grounds but have also promoted this game. Umar says that the Kashmir Sports Council and the Jammu and Kashmir Wushu Association have supported him every time. Having a special arena has changed the sport of wushu and the wushu players.
Umar says “Stay away from people who try to bring down your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will make you realize that you too can become great.” He goes on to say that “One of the hardest skills to acquire in this sport is not to lose your confidence and keep trying to improve your game again because, like any sport, you can’t win every day. Sometimes you may also have to face failure.”
Mohammad Umar Bhat, who is also a social worker, single-handedly saved thousands of lives in September 2014 when torrential rains caused devastating floods in several districts of Kashmir. He organized camps and served people with his own funds without any support from any NGO or government. He also helped people with food packets and medicines during the Corona period.
Mohammad Umar Bhat’s dream is to play for the Indian team and he also has the feeling of helping the needy people. His wish is to see India become a multi-sport nation. He expects the government to pay attention to sports in every big and small city. The country should unite and demand sports facilities to create new infrastructure to transform India from a country watching other’s sports to a country playing its own sports.
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