Danish Ali/Srinagar

Hailing from the picturesque village of Athwatoo in Bandipora district, which is located about 10 km from the Line of Control in northern Kashmir, Imran Lone grew up amidst the lack of amenities, and this didn’t help him realise his dream of donning the Army’s uniform.

Today, Imran has become a ray of hope for thousands of Kashmiri Youth who aspire to serve the nation and Jammu and Kashmir by joining the army or police.

Imran Lone says, "I wanted to join the army. But no one guided me at the right time, and I had no information about the procedures. By the time I understood what should be done, I was already too old. It was my dream to join the army and serve the country."

Imran Lone rappling

Although his dream never came true, today, inspired by that dream, he is preparing Kashmiri youth to join the Police forces and the Indian Army.

Speaking to Awaz-The Voice, Imran explains that the atmosphere in Kashmir is changing. Long-term unemployment and a lack of opportunities have led to frustration and drug addiction in Kashmiri youth. “About 80 per cent of the youth are depressed because there are no jobs here.

Many young people, frustrated, turn to drugs,” he says. Today, the picture is slowly changing. Kashmiri youth have become increasingly interested in army and police recruitment. Today, thousands of young people are participating in recruitment rallies and working hard in training camps.

Imran Lone is part of this change. He has started a free fitness academy for young people preparing for military and police recruitment. Training takes place after Fajr prayers in the morning and at 4 p.m.

Imran Lone in snowy wilderness

His academy trains not only boys but also a large number of girls. Recently, seven girls and thirty boys from his academy were successful in the constable recruitment. Currently, he is preparing students for recruitment under the Agniveer scheme.

Imran is a callisthenics practitioner. It is a martial art and fitness system that develops strength, balance, and control using one's own body weight. Through exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and planks, it not only improves strength and endurance but also promotes injury prevention and overall functional fitness.

Callisthenics is considered highly effective in improving abilities like striking, grappling, and stability. This is the first and currently the only academy for this art in Kashmir, run by Imran Lone.

Imran's own story was no less than a struggle. His village lacked even basic amenities like roads, electricity, and internet. To attend school, he had to walk seven to eight kilometres daily, braving the harsh weather. Due to circumstances, he was forced to leave school midway. His search for further education and a life path brought him to Srinagar.

Imran Lone

His early days in Srinagar were difficult. To make ends meet, he worked as a waiter, dishwasher, and salesman in hotels. But he harboured a burning desire to do something different. From childhood, he was inspired by the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

Those films drew him to martial arts. Imran says that at that time, there were martial arts coaching clubs on almost every street in Srinagar. So he decided that if he wanted to do something, he had to do something different.

This is where his life took a new turn. He took up callisthenics, a highly demanding and disciplined sport. After years of hard work and practice, he mastered the art. Today, it is his identity and primary source of livelihood.

He began creating and posting callisthenics and fitness videos on social media, which quickly became popular. Today, Imran Lone is considered one of Kashmir's leading social media influencers. As a fitness coach, he not only trains thousands of young people but also strengthens them mentally.

Imran believes that social media has become a highly effective medium for spreading awareness about fitness. “If used in the right direction, social media can help lift young people out of addiction and despair,” he says. Today, his earnings from social media are his primary source of income, but his contribution is even greater than that, in the change he is bringing to the lives of young people.

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Inspired by the Para Forces, Imran aims to provide the same level of training to young people. Most of the young people who come to his academy are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Imran does not charge them any fees, knowing that a timely opportunity can change someone's entire life, as it did for him.