Danish Manzoor was a simple boy from Baramulla in Kashmir who fell in love with martial arts after watching Bruce Lee’s films. In 2010, when he was just 13 years old, he joined Baramulla Taekwondo Academy. His guru (coach) there was Ashfaq Ahmad Wani. Life was not easy for Danish, but his love for taekwondo was very strong. When he did not have proper sports shoes, he practised wearing ordinary chappals. During Kashmir’s troubled times, when there were curfews, he continued his practice at home. Though he used to get scared because of the difficult situation in Kashmir, he never stopped following his dream. His hard work showed good results when he won his first bronze medal at an Inter-District Championship in Srinagar. Soon after, in 2011, he made everyone proud by winning a gold medal in a state-level competition.
Growing Success in National Competitions
Danish’s taekwondo journey became more serious when he started taking part in big national tournaments. A very important moment came in 2013 when he fought in the 33rd Junior National Taekwondo Championship in Puducherry. But his biggest achievement in national competitions was in 2016. In this year, he won a silver medal in Rajasthan in the 54-kg category. This victory was very special because it gave him a chance to try for the Asian Championship and Asian Indoor Games. Another big change in his life came in 2018. He joined Atul International Taekwondo Academy and started training under coach Atul Pangotra. Under his new guru’s guidance, Danish became a much better player and started winning more competitions.
Making India Proud Internationally
Danish’s hard work started bringing very good results in international competitions. He made India proud by fighting in big tournaments like the World Taekwondo Octagon Diamond G4 Olympic ranking championship in South Korea. He also participated in the Israel Open G2 Olympic ranking Championships. The year 2019 was very special for him as he performed brilliantly at the International Olympic Ranking G1 Championship in Hyderabad. In 2021, everyone recognized his talent when he got the ‘Best Male Athlete’ award at the Tokey Memorial Open Taekwondo Championship. His biggest achievement came recently when he got the 6th rank in the World Taekwondo Presidents Cup-Asia Region, making all Indians very proud.
Fighting Through Difficult Times
Danish’s life story shows how a person can succeed even in tough situations. Coming from a middle-class family in Kashmir, he faced many problems. Many times, he did not have enough money to go to international tournaments. But social media helped him when he needed money for the Israel Open tournament. His family – his mummy-papa, brothers, and sisters – always stood by him. Even when Kashmir had many problems and curfews, Danish did not give up. When he could not go to the academy, he practised at home. He turned all his problems into stepping stones for success and kept working hard for his Olympic dream.
Present Success and Recognition
Today, Danish’s hard work has brought him much respect and fame. In 2022, the government made him the Brand Ambassador for the Fit India Movement. This was a big honour for him. Now he fights in two weight categories – Under 54kg for world competitions and 58kg for Olympic events. A company called DLOI Exports has come forward to help him by giving money for his tournaments. He is still learning and becoming better under his gurus, Master Atul Pangotra and Aasif Ahmed Shah. His story shows that if someone works hard with honesty, good things will surely happen.
The Big Olympic Dream
Danish has a big dream – he wants to win an Olympic medal for India in taekwondo. This is very special because no Indian has ever qualified in Olympic taekwondo till now. He believes that if the government gives proper support, Indian players can do very well in this sport. Right now, he is preparing very hard for the 6th Kasad Asian Open G2 Olympic Ranking Championship in Indonesia. He sees this tournament as an important step towards his Olympic dream. Danish is not just thinking about himself; he wants to make the path easier for young taekwondo players who will come after him.
Plans for Indian Taekwondo’s Future
Danish feel very strongly about making taekwondo more popular in India. He is sad that this sport was not included in the 36th Gujarat National Games. He keeps saying that India has many talented players who can become champions if they get proper support. According to Danish, if the government provides good training facilities and support, Indian taekwondo players can win many medals for the country. His journey from practising in chappals to becoming an international player shows that nothing is impossible if you have the will to succeed. His story gives hope to many young players across India, especially those who come from difficult backgrounds.
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