In Kashmir, there lies a deep inclination towards various athletic disciplines in the youth of Kashmir. The athletes from Kashmir have proven their prowess on national and international stages.
The athletes have garnered much appreciation and recognition. Social media is a platform where the athlete’s fans connect to them, showing support and appraisal.
Let’s unlock the names of the most followed athletes from Kashmir on Instagram:
Muhammad Hammad (Football) – 15.5K
Muhammad Hammad, a resident of Srinagar is an astute footballer born and brought up in picturesque valley of Kashmir. He joined his hometown club, Real Kashmir Football Club in 2017. With his skills and leadership qualities, he led Real Kashmir to the semi-final of 2019 Durand Cup. In the I-League 2023-24, captain Hammad was awarded the ‘Jarnail Singh Award for Best Defender’. He secured his club a fifth place in the I-League.
Apart from winning an award for his fine performances, Hammad did a stellar comeback in the season. Few yeas ago, the prudent defender suffered from ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). Although he missed out some seasons due to the injury but he gave his fans a hero’s comeback.
Muhammad Hammad has now taken a step ahead. He has joined Goa FC, the first from J&K to join the club. The footballer posted a heartfelt goodbye note to Real Kashmir on Instagram in which he said,
“Growing up, the only thing I was sure about was playing professional football, a dream that became a reality at Real Kashmir.”
The athlete has a number of 15.5K fan following on the Instagram.
Mehrajuddin Wadoo (Football) – 17K
Mehrajuddin Wadoo is the international footballer from Kashmir. In his early days, he has even played with India’s international football icon, Sunil Chhetri.
Wadoo was born in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The football Icon of Kashmir, has achieved remarkable feat in the the arena of professional football. He has played for clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Salgaocar, Pune City, Chennaiyin, and Mumbai City. Chennaiyin won their first ever ISL trophy in 2015.
In the Blue Tigers the footballer made a total of 32 appearances and scored 2 goals. After retiring as a football, he managed Pune City U18, Hyderabad FC (Assistant coach), Sudeva Delhi (Caretaker Manager), Real Kashmir, Mohammedan and Chitwan FC.
Mehrajuddin Wadoo now posits himself as an inspiration for young players in Kashmir and is associated with J&K sports Council. He is followed by 17K people on the Instagram.
Afshan Ashiq ( Football ) – 20.3K
The Kashmiri female footballer took an unconventional route in the times when sports was predominated by males in Kashmir. The Srinagar girl started her venture into the game from her college, Government College for Women( MA Road Srinagar) in 2013.
She has represented her state, Jammu and Kashmir in the Women’s I-League. In the conflicting times of Kashmir, she made her ways through. Her journey inspired the Bollywood producer, Gulshan Grover and Sunil Grover to make a movie ‘Hope Solo.’
Currently she is part of Casa Barwani Soccer club Barwani. On Instagram, the female athlete is followed by 20.3K followers.
Afreen Hyder ( Kyorugi ) – 24K
The first female taekwondo athlete from Kashmir is Afreen Hyder. She is aslo the resident of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. She claimed her national medal in 2010.
In 2022, at 39th National Senior Taekwondo Championship held at Guwahati, Assam in India, she bagged a silver medal. She became the first athlete to win a silver medal in Kyorugi.
At the 2023 Senior National Taekwondo Championship, she won a bronze medal. In the same year, she claimed another silver after losing the final match of the women’s under-67 kg category in the 2023 Goa National Games.
She shares the glimpses from her life on social media platforms. On Instagram, she is followed by 24K fans.
Ishfaq Ahmed (Football) – 39.5K
Ishfaq Ahmed is one of the known professional footballer from Jammu and Kashmir. Ahmed is born and brought up Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Currently, Ishfaq Ahmed is the head coach of Real Kashmir which has produced young footballers like Danish Farooq and Mohammad Hammad. Ahmed has played for the I-League and the Indian Super League for numerous clubs like Dempo, Mohun Bagan, Salgaocar, East Bengal, Mohammedan, Kerala Blasters, Pune F.C, and Mumbai F.C.
Ishfaq has won the domestic cups such as Federation Cup and Durand Cup. After retiring. the successful professional footballer had managed Kerala Blasters as well as Jamshedpur FC. Ishfaq Ahmed is followed by 39.5K people on Instagram.
Imran Tiger (Callisthenic) -61.5K
The first certified callisthenic athlete from Kashmir was born in Gurez area of Bandipora district from Jammu and Kashmir. While talking to a local talk show, Taaruk the young callisthenic revealed that he has spent sleepless nights in parks to reach the zenith of his passion.
Earlier he has been practicing Martial Arts but coming to Srinagar exposed him to Callisthenic. In one of the parks of Srinagar, some basic callisthenic equipments are installed which became Tiger’s practice ground.
He now has an academy where 40 plus students take the training, which also comprises of a core team representing Jammu and Kashmir at state level competitions. Imran now aims to present himself on India’s Got Talent to give more recognition to the callisthenic.
The athlete has a great fan following of 61.5K on Instagram.
Rasikh Salam Dar (Cricket) – 77.6K
Rasikh Salam Dar is a 24 year old, Indian cricketer born in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Dar plays for Jammu and Kashmir in domestic cricket and for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.
After Abdul Samad and Umran Malik, he is the third cricketer to be picked by Indian Premier League. He made his debut with Mumbai Indians in 2019 IPL (as their youngest debutant). MI released the player before 2020 IPL auction. In 2022, Kolkata Knight Riders bought the player. And in 2024, Rasikh Salam was acquired by Delhi Capitals as the fast bowler.
The first Kashmiri player in the IPL has a fan following of 77.6K on Instagram.
Danish Farooq (Football) – 108K
Danish Farooq is an international footballer who is a resident of Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir. He plays as a central midfielder for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
At the age of 13, he started his career with JK Bank FC. His prowess earned him a move to Lone Star FC. After Lone Star, Danish upgraded himself to a promising football club – Real Kashmir. Farooq, emerging as one of the best players, eventually led the team to I-League.
With 10 goals in 62 appearances in his local side, he made a move to ISL giants Bengaluru. After that he switched to Kerala Blasters.
Igor Štimac gave Danish Farooq his international debut. The fierce footballer has a fan following of 108K on the social media platform, Instagram.
Amir Hussain Lone (Armless Cricketer) – 118K
Amir Hussain Lone is an Indian cricketer from Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. The armless cricketer is the captain of the Jammu and Kashmir para-cricket team.
The passionate cricketer had lost his arms due to family’s sawmill at a very young age of 8. But his love for cricket accepted no excuses. Lone developed a unique style of batting which was going to grab attention of a God of Cricket – Sachin Tendulkar, in the times to come.
Batting with neck and chin and bowling with his legs, Lone made headlines in 2013. He showcased his prudent acumen in the sport in a match against Kerala cricket team.
With his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, he played in The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL). There, Tendulkar wore jersey no.1 with Amir’s name and Amir also wore jersey no. 1 with Sachin’s name. The armless cricketer has a huge fan following of 118K on Instagram.
Owais Yaqoob (MMA) – 201K
Owaise Yaqoob is the first MMA fighter from Kashmir. He is a resident of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Yaqoob began his career with Indian traditional martial art Thangta. Then transitioned into Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in 2018.
On March 09, 2024 Yaqoob became an International fighting champion. At Matrix Fight Night (MFN)-14, Yaqoob presented India and won against Afghanistan. MFN is India’s biggest mixed martial arts platform founded by Bollywood movie actor, Tiger Shroff along with his mother, Ayesha Shroff and sister, Krishna Shroff in 2019.
The fighter has clinched 11 gold medals and 7 silver medals at National level. Apart from that 17 medals in UT level events.
He runs Lion’s Den Martial Art Academy to train and carve more MMA fighters like him from Kashmir. Yaqoob has trained with Former UFC World Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov and the 2023 UFC Lightweight World Champion, Islam Makhachev. He wishes to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
READ MORE: Who is Bilquis Mir? The Kashmiri Who Will Make History at the Paris Olympics
He has a massive fan following of more than 2L on Instagram – 201K.
Tabinda Mir is a writer from Kashmir. She is an English Honours graduate and her interests primarily dwell in poetry and sports writing. She likes to cover Cricket as an avid fan. Apart from sports, her other publications include articles, poems and a letter to summer in the book titled, “Under The Summer Skies”.
Also, her leisure time activities include reading novels, poetry, non literary works, philosophies and writing poetry, short stories, articles on diverse themes.
