HYDERABAD: Jameel Khan, a vegetable vendor has made a mark for himself in the field of martial arts but is struggling to make ends meet.
His menial job as pushcart vegetable vendor did not stop him from winning 73 medals in World Karate Championships including 45 gold, 12 silver and 16 bronze over the last 12 years.
Despite achieving success against various countries, including USA, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, he has received no help from the state government so far.
He aims to open an academy in the state but he has been struggling with his own financial crisis.
In an interview with ANI, he said, “Mere jaise sportsperson ko milne ke liye KCR (K Chandrashekhar Rao) sahab ke paas time nahi hai, fir normal log ko kya milte kya karte?’ (If K. Chandrashekhar Rao, Chief Minister of Telangana does not have the time to meet a sportsperson like me then what normal people have to do to meet him?).
Currently, he works as a Karate master at the Safdaria Girls High School in Humayun Nagar, Mehdipatnam.
Born to a family of vegetable vendors in Mandamarri in Adilabad, he was the first Karate player to be honoured with ‘Karate Ratna’ award in martial arts.
Now, he has requested the government to give him some recognition so that he can train martial artists to bring laurels for India in the upcoming Olympics.