Jagdalpur : In a remarkable story of grit and determination, 18-year-old Abdul Fattah from Lakshadweep scripted history by winning a gold medal in long jump at the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026, becoming the first athlete from the Union Territory to cross the 7-metre mark.
Hailing from the remote Amini Island, Fattah registered a career-best jump of 7.03 metres at the KridaParisar grounds, marking Lakshadweep’s first-ever medal at the Games and a significant milestone for the region’s sporting landscape.
Balancing livelihood and ambition, Fattah works as a fisherman at night to support his family and trains during the day under limited resources. Coming from a modest background, he had to discontinue his studies after Class 12 due to financial constraints and began assisting his father in fishing, the family’s sole source of income.
Despite the challenges, his talent was spotted during a local inter-island competition by coach Mohammed Kaseem, who encouraged him to shift from football to athletics. Since then, Fattah has focused on long jump and sprint events, training largely on mud tracks due to the absence of proper sports infrastructure in Lakshadweep.
The Union Territory currently lacks a synthetic track or a dedicated athletics stadium, forcing athletes like Fattah to practise in basic conditions, often using makeshift facilities such as football grounds and mud pits.
Officials said Fattah’s achievement is a breakthrough moment for Lakshadweep athletics. “He is the first athlete from the region to cross 7 metres, which is a significant benchmark,” a sports official said.
Fattah said he had set a personal target of 7.15 metres ahead of the competition and expressed satisfaction at breaching the 7-metre mark. “This gold medal motivates me to work harder and improve further,” he said.
Lakshadweep has been gradually emerging on the national athletics scene, with athletes like Mubassina Mohammed, who earlier won a silver medal at the Asian U18 Championships, bringing recognition to the region.
Officials believe that performances like Fattah’s could help draw attention towards the need for better sports infrastructure and opportunities in the island territory. The athlete also expressed hope that consistent performances at national-level events would open doors for employment and improved training facilities.
