In a remarkable story of determination and resilience, 18-year-old Abdul Fatah from Lakshadweep has etched his name in the region’s sporting history by becoming the first athlete from the island to cross the 7-meter mark in long jump. His 7.03-meter leap at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Jagdalpur earned Lakshadweep its first-ever medal in the event and marked a historic milestone for the Union Territory.
Fatah, who spends most nights at sea working as a fisherman to support his family, begins his mornings on the training ground chasing a very different dream — representing Lakshadweep in athletics. Hailing from Amini Island, a small and remote island located between Kavaratti and Kadmat, the young athlete has overcome severe infrastructural and financial challenges to reach this stage.
Lakshadweep has no synthetic athletic track, forcing Fatah to practice in mud pits and local football grounds. Despite these limitations, his determination and discipline helped him deliver a career-best jump of 7.03 meters at the Khelo India Tribal Games, securing the gold medal and bringing pride to his region.
Sports officer Ahmed Javed Hasan praised Fatah’s achievement, calling it a “special moment” for Lakshadweep athletics. He highlighted that Fatah is the first athlete from the Union Territory to surpass the 7-meter mark in long jump, a significant breakthrough for sports development in the islands.
Born into a fisherman’s family, Fatah is the eldest among six siblings and shoulders major responsibilities at home. Financial constraints forced him to discontinue his studies after Class 12, pushing him to focus on fishing alongside his father while continuing athletics as a passion.
“There is no other option; you have to balance everything,” Fatah said. “Fishing is our only source of income. My family knows about my training, even though they don’t fully understand the sport.”
Interestingly, athletics was not his first choice. Like many youngsters on the island, Fatah initially played football. His journey changed during a local inter-island competition when coach Mohammed Kasim noticed his exceptional speed and suggested he switch to athletics. Since then, Fatah has trained in long jump and the 100-meter sprint, gradually improving his performance.
The formation of the Amini Athletics Association also played a key role in his development. In just two years, the association has trained over 380 athletes, with 17 selected to represent Lakshadweep at the Khelo India Tribal Games.
Before arriving in Jagdalpur, Fatah’s jumps usually ranged between 6.5 and 6.7 meters. He had set a personal target of 7.15 meters for the Games and was delighted to cross the 7-meter mark.
“I wanted to reach 7.15 meters, and I’m happy I crossed seven meters. This gold medal motivates me to work harder and improve further,” he said.
Lakshadweep is slowly making its presence felt on India’s athletics map. Another prominent athlete from the region, Mubassina Mohammed, became Lakshadweep’s first international medalist after winning silver in long jump at the 2022 Asian U18 Athletics Championship in Kuwait and later clinching the junior national title with a personal best of 6.30 meters.
Like Mubassina, Fatah continues to train without modern infrastructure. Lakshadweep, spread across just 32 square kilometers with a population of under 70,000, still lacks a proper synthetic track or athletics stadium. Most athletes train on mud tracks and basic grounds.
Fatah remains hopeful that achievements at national events like the Khelo India Tribal Games will bring better facilities, job opportunities, and structured training support for athletes in Lakshadweep.
“We hope our success will bring change and better opportunities for athletes from our islands,” he said.
