Kargil MMA players win 3 national medals, coach Mahdi upbeat

Story by ATV | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 25-12-2021

Coach Mahdi Nasiri (In the center) flanked by Murtaza Ali Khuddam, Ali Akbar and Mohammed Hasnain.

M Anas/New Delhi

Ladakh, now the Union Territory, has registered its name on the national stage for reasons other than the Kashmir conflict and continued Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoff with China. A three-member team from the UT has gained the third position at the National Mixed Martial Arts Championship held in Mumbai this week. The team won a total of four medals — one gold, one silver, and two bronzes.

Murtaza Ali Khuddam has won the Gold Medal in the 79 kg category by knocking down his opponent in the 1st round of the final match. Other medalists are Ali Akbar and Mohammed Hasnain.

Their success is due to their grit, determination, and willpower. This reporter spoke with the Gold medalist Murtaza Ali Khuddam and his coach Mahdi Nasiri on their journey.

The Winners and the coach with their trophy and medals

Nasiri and Khuddam hail from the Kargil district. Mahdi said that he has been a UFC Mixed Martial Arts fighter for long and now coaches and mentors youth who are attracted to the sport. “I developed a passion for this game by watching and reading about international stars and started to self-train in my teenage years. Slowly, I gained confidence and got in touch with known sportsmen of my region.

“They were impressed with my skills and coached me further. Then, on someone’s advice, I went to Iran and spent five years learning and participating in various competitions there,” said Nasiri.

He added that when Bollywood personalities, Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty, organised Super Fight League in 2012, he participated in it and won a gold medal. “Besides, I also won medals in some other events, but my life didn’t change as this sport is not widely played and promoted in India. Plus, the required facilities are scarce. I used to practice alone in a makeshift arena and by watching videos. There was no support from the government or a private organisation. Yes, some individuals used to lend support,” said Mahdi.

The winning team being received at Airport

Mahdi shared with us some videos that showed him practicing and training in a makeshift arena covered with polyethylene sheets to secure players against cold.

Mahdi has become a professional coach. “I hope our performance in MMAFI would improve things. It has already caught the attention of the government.

“Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur in a tweet has appreciated the team for the brilliant performance, particularly of Murtaza Ali Khuddam. Local federation for MMA too is upbeat and would help in uplifting the game and lives of players,” said Mahdi.

Murtaza Ali Khuddam, the gold-medallist, and star of the tournament said, “We grew up watching international star Khabib and Mahdi Bhai playing this very difficult sport. They have been our inspiration. Whatever know about fighting, I have learned from Mahdi Bhai, whether it is elbow strike, ground, and pound, back control, armbar, sprawl, etc.

The team waiting to fly - at the airport

“We had nothing in the name of facilities except a makeshift arena but, we had a lot of determination to prove our mettle. We knew that once we make our mark, our path will be illuminated. See, today as we returned to our hometown, around 200 vehicles had come to receive us. We hope this euphoria will earn attention for MMA in our country too,” Khuddam said.

He also said that for becoming an MMA fighter, the most important is physical strength. “I had built that by following a certain diet regime suggested by Mahdi Bhai,” he said.

The Mixed Martial Arts championship was organised by the Mixed Martial Arts Federation of India (MMAFI).

Khuddam, who is the youngest of his three siblings, said he or the other MMA players from Kargil did not receive any support from the Ladakh Sports authorities. “But, we were not hopeless. Our medal-earning performance will pave the way for a better future. The government will wake up too,” he said.