THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 1 September 2007 — Two years back, he was the pride of Kerala as India’s national gold medalist in taekwondo — three times in a row.

But Shyam Jamaludheen, 28, and an exponent of the martial art that is the national sport of South Korea, now realizes that medals do not ensure him three meals a day. During the intervals of practice and training, this international sportsman rushes to the butcher’s shop in the city market to eke out a living by selling meat.

A first class graduate, he has to look after his aged parents and other family members. A national gold medalist for three consecutive years (2003, 2004 and 2005) and a South Asian Federation Games participant, Jamaludheen says though he received many job offers they all remained mere promises.

“I met both Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and his predecessor Oommen Chandy and both were generous in promises. They assured me that I will get a government job soon,” Jamaludheen said. “But when the papers were moved to the concerned departments, officials would raise objections saying the state-run sports bodies are yet to recognize this hugely popular combat sport which is also part of the Olympics,” he said.

Before switching over to the taekwondo, he was the national gold medalist in karate (consecutively from 1994 to 1998) and kickboxing (1998, 2000 and 2002).

An avid fan of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, he started learning martial arts at the age of 12.

“The problem is martial arts still has pariah status in Kerala unlike other sports when it comes to government jobs. Many advised me to switch over to other streams in order to easily get a government job, but the very suggestion to quit my passion since childhood pains me a lot,” he said.

Fighting all odds, the son of a butcher completed his studies in flying colors while simultaneously pursuing his passion. During his university years, he also forayed into gymnastics and won a few medals at the inter-collegiate championships.

“I am fed up with the apathy of authorities. Last year, I injured myself during the national selection trials at Guwahati. But instead of helping me the let me fend for myself. I had to take a personal loan of Rs.60,000 to undergo a ligament reconstruction surgery,” he said.

Besides his daily toil at the butcher’s shop, he creates time to train youngsters at many city health clubs to pay back the loan. “Time is running out for me. Even high calorie food is becoming a luxury these days,” he said.

Like many other martial arts, taekwondo is a combination of combat technique, self-defense, sport, exercise, entertainment, and philosophy. Incidentally, Jamaludheen earned his university degree in philosophy, which has also helped him enhancing his skills. Before the SAF Games, the Sports Authority of India (SAF) sent him to Seoul for a three-month training program under the World Taekwondo Federation.

However, he says lack of resources to treat injuries made him pay a heavy price when he failed to attend the World Championship twice.

Despite his hardships, Jamaludheen is positive about his future. He is happy that the game is also becoming increasingly popular in Kerala largely due to the efforts of the Kerala Taekwondo Foundation.

“It’s highly popular among youngsters. There are at least 1,500 sportsmen in the state participating at the national and state-level championships. The number is growing,” he said, adding that he is proud that he played a part in popularizing the sport.

In 42 higher secondary schools across the state, taekwondo is now part of the curriculum. For many young girls, training in the martial art also helps them to resist harassment at public places.

These schools have dedicated two hours every week to impart training to pupils in the art that emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, using the leg’s greater reach and power to overpower the opponent from a distance.

Taekwondo training also includes a system of blocks, punches, open-handed strikes, various takedowns or sweeps, throws and joint locks.

“I hope, the coming generation would get a better deal from the authorities,” he said.