DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Everybody was Kung Fu fighting, but Mehsud was fast as lightning. 

Enough reason for the Guinness World Records (GWR) and the Pakistan Book of Records (PBR) to confer him with two top awards. 

At a time when Pakistan was in the grip of militancy and extremist violence, Muhammad Irfan Mehsud, 28, went on to win laurels for the country -- once in October 2016 and the second time in July this year -- after the GWR recognized him for breaking 16 world records. The PBR followed through by awarding him the Pride of Pakistan title on February 11.

An MPhil student from Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan, Mehsud stands tall at 5ft 8in and is the second son in a family of nine. 

The family belongs to Ladha, a scenic town nestled in the war-torn region of South Waziristan, close to the porous Pakistan-Afghan border.

In 2009, soon after the military launched an offensive to clear the area of militants, Mehsud, along with his family, had to leave his hometown and move to Dera Ismail Khan, another district in South Waziristan. 

In an interview with Arab News, Mehsud credits Hollywood actor Jackie Chan for being his inspiration to excel in the sport.

“I don’t have a proper training camp but his [Jackie Chan’s] charismatic skills keep me going,” he said. 

His day begins at sunrise where he exercises and trains for three hours. However, unlike other athletes who rely on a special diet for strength and prowess, Mehsud says he has to make do with whatever is cooked at home due to an extremely low family income and inflated cost of groceries. 

Najam Ullah, Kung Fu general secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a senior player, says Mehsud was able to achieve the world records due to his unstoppable dedication and hard work, adding that he hopes the young Pakistani can continue to bring more laurels to the country.

“I am really proud that we have a player of international stature [like Mehsud] who bolstered the image of Pakistan among the comity of nations. I appreciate his ceaseless efforts to achieve world records because he hails from an underdeveloped and militancy-hit region,” he said. 

Some of the records that the GWR has recognized Mehsud for include: 87 full contact knee strikes in one minute using one leg, breaking the previous record of 79 strikes; 26 knuckle pushups (carrying a 40-lb pack) in one minute, breaking the previous record of 22 pushups and 21 pushups (with one leg raised and carrying an 80-lb pack) in one minute, breaking a record of 17 set earlier. He secured all these feats between July 2016 and April 2018. 

“I broke the record of an Indian Kung Fu player N. Narayanan who managed 52 side jumps in 30 seconds while I performed 56 in the same period of time,” Mehsood said. A fact cemented by the GWR which highlights Mehsud’s achievements on its official website.

He also broke the record of another Pakistani player, Amin Ahmad Bodla, from the Punjab province. Bodla held the record of 79 strikes in one minute while Mehsud achieved 87 strikes in the same period of time. 

Mehsud -- who has been credited for introducing Wushu Kung Fu to the region -- is now looking at the upkeep of the first Kung Fu Club in South Waziristan, after gauging the popularity of the sport in the area. More than two dozen players are being trained in the sport at the premises.

“We run the club under a shabby roof and with temporary arrangements, without any help from the government. We have 22 fresh players in the club, where there is an acute need of proper kits, uniforms and other equipment,” Mehsud said. 

Despite financial constraints and the absence of a proper sports facility, Mehsud says he is hopeful the provincial sports minister can encourage local talent by building a martial arts academy in the near future. 

During its previous term, the PTI-led government had built several sport stadiums in major districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the volatile tribal region, known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas – now a part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province -- bore the brunt of extremism resulting from the Taliban’s rule, triggering a mass exodus of local families to other areas of the country. The displaced families have now been repatriated to their hometowns after the military gained ground. 

That however didn’t stop the local talent, like Mehsud, from realizing their dream. He says he now aspires to represent the country at an international level and train other players in the sport, so that one day Pakistan, too, can achieve global recognition. “I exercise at a rented facility in Dera Ismail Khan and train young boys there, too. I hope the government will extend its support to promote the sport. Kung Fu can help in projecting a softer image of the country and show another side of Pakistan,” he said. 

Najam Ullah concurs. “The country’s tribal region has unprecedented talent and the government should provide security and sports facilities to the younger generation to tap into that.”