Seraj Anwar/Patna

Karate player Zabir Ansari has won a gold medal in the tenth international championship named Mayor Cup 2024 organized at Kakarvitta Meshinagar Jhapa, Nepal. The two-day championship held on May 31 had India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Nepal as participating countries.

Zabir Ansari’s victory is being celebrated at Patna University, where he is enrolled for a post-graduate degree in the Urdu department. 

Earlier, Zabir had won medals in international Karate events in Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Turkey, and Egypt.

Zabir won the gold medal by defeating Nepal and Bhutan in the 75 kg category.

Interestingly, Zabir was short of money for participating in this international meet when a Pasmanda leader Dr Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie ran a social media campaign asking Indians to help this promising Karate player. He posted this on social media after Zabir’s vioctory on X: 

#ताजा #खबर

आप सब के आशीर्वाद दुआओं और सहयोग से भारत माता के लाल @KarateZabir ने भारत के लिए #स्वर्ण पदक हासिल किया है

ज्ञात रहें कि पैसे के कमी के कारण उनका इस अंतर्राष्ट्रीय प्रतियोगिता में भाग लेना मुश्किल लग रहा था जिसके लिए मैं ने सोशल मीडिया पर एक अपील किया था,

बिना जाति… pic.twitter.com/GbPndyMA40

— Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie (@FayazAhmadFyzie) June 1, 2024

Giving the credit for his success to his coach Rahul Kumar, Jabir told Awaz-the Voice on the phone from Nepal that ‘Rahul Sir’ made him practice hard for 6 to 8 hours every day.

Rahul said that he was hopeful that just like Zabir’s gold medal in the All India University competition where 188 universities were participating he would win the gold this time.

Zabir played his first match in 2015 where he won a silver medal. 

Zabir Ansari’s achievement is all the more impressive given his background. He hails from a remote and naxal-affected area of Bihar.

I Won Gold 🥇 Medal in 10th International Karate Championship Held at Nepal 🇳🇵🇮🇳 .@PTUshaOfficial @AIUIndia@Media_SAI @WeAreTeamIndia pic.twitter.com/NYnmxIptlc

— MD ZABIR ANSARI (@KarateZabir) June 1, 2024

His father Imtiaz Ansari is a teacher in a school in his native Tumbapahar village of Jhajha block of Jamui district.

Zabir is the eldest of four siblings. Mother Fahima Khatoon has received the Rashtra Veermata Jijabai Samman-2018.

Zabir has represented the country five times. In 2017, he won a silver medal for the country in the South Asian Karate Competition held in Sri Lanka. He represented India in China, Thailand in 2018, and Turkey in 2019. He was included among the potential Karate players of India in the Asian Games held in Indonesia in 2018 and participated in the training camp.

Zabir has won the gold medal six times in a row in the state-level Karate Championship, while he won the silver and bronze medals in 2017 and 2019. Last year, Jabir Ansari won the bronze medal by securing third place in the All India Inter-University Karate Championship. Jabir Ansari also secured fourth place in the Khelo India University Game 2022.

Zabir has received the State government’s Sports Award in 2018, 2021 and 2022. 

Zabir said that as a child he always dreamed of doing action. Also, he would sneak out and watch action movies of actors like Akshay Kumar. After watching a film, he always felt a strong urge to learn action. However, only after came to Patna for admission in the 12th class did he join a Karate class. In 2015, he played a match at the national level for the first time. 

Initially, his family wanted him to focus on studies. However, sensing his inclination for Karate, his parents gave him a go-ahead.

Shahab Zafar Azmi, Chairman of the Urdu Department of Patna University, says that Zabir Ansari's success is the success of the Urdu Department and Patna University. “I congratulate our promising student, may he get more success.”

Zabir also says that the college gave him confidence as a sportsperson.

“I will always be grateful for the honour of being a student of Patna University and above all for the guidance and support I received.”

Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has honoured Jabir for encouraging him.