Tahir Ahmad Wani, 43, a tailor by profession runs his Sqay-Martial art academy from the grounds of Higher Secondary School Shopian. Tahir was introduced to Martial art by a noted black belt in martial art game of state, Ghulam Nabi Dar in 1998. Dar later came to Shopian and started teaching youngsters Martial art and Sqay games. Now in his early forties and a tailor by profession, Tahir Ahmad Wani is also a teacher who trains boys and girls in the martial art of sqay, believed to be a martial art indigenous to Kashmir. In the last twelve years, Wani has trained hundreds of students, who have gone on to win 22 international gold medals and 50 national golds. He is also the mentor of world champion Ahsan Boda, who won the sqay world championship in South Korea in 2018, and Faizan Ayoub, who has won three international gold medals in sqay.
Overall, Wani’s students have won 190 national and 40 international medals. Almost every student in his academy has won a medal, their achievements giving the teacher and his students the recognition they craved for years. Many schools in district Shopian have introduced Martial art and Sqay games in their co-curricular activism for their students. No job is too small, no job is too menial, and no job is too insignificant when you have the mindset to make a positive impact in the world. People like Tahir are truly inspirational, who never give up and always strive to make a positive impact on our society.
Tahir Ahmad Wani, a tailor by profession runs his Sqay-Martial art academy.
