Following in the footsteps of his father, five-year-old Sufiyan Mehsood recently captured the world’s attention by setting a new Guinness World Record for the fastest time to climb around a person.
He completed the feat with his father Irfan Mehsood in just 7.87 seconds, smashing the previous record of 9.78 seconds set three years ago by MV Arjun Priyan along with K Gokulnath. By doing this, Sufiyan Mehsood has now become the youngest Pakistani to ever hold a Guinness World Record, which in itself is a record.
Sufiyan Mehsood was born into a family that reveres physical fitness and martial arts. The family lives in the quiet mountainous region of South Waziristan. Irfan Mehsood, who recently received his 100th Guinness World Records certificate, runs a mixed martial arts training center – Lion’s Den Fight Club DI Khan.
16 of Irfan Mehsood’s students bag Guinness World Records, along with countless gold medals at national and international levels
Under his father’s mentorship, Sufiyan Mehsood began training at an exceptionally young age. Videos on the fight club’s YouTube channel have showcased him throwing jabs and kicks on a sandbag, shadow fighting, and doing stretching exercises in the open like a pro. Irfan Mehsood nurtured Sufiyan’s talents, transforming what might have been ordinary childhood play into a record-breaking performance.
But the journey has not been easy for the father-son duo, especially Irfan, who struggled to keep his hand-to-hand combat school open due to a dearth of funds. Originally from Halalgarh, a small village in Laddah tehsil of South Waziristan, Irfan Mehsood had always aspired to be a martial artist. He cites Jackie Chan as his idol, saying that the movie ‘Rumble in the Bronx’ inspired him as a child to learn martial arts.
He mentioned that he had moved to Dera Ismail Khan for further studies after his matriculation, and joined a local martial arts club. By 2015, he had started his own fight club, where he started teaching young students not just how to stay fit but also how to defend themselves. He said that one thing the club lacked was an indoor hall. He said he had trained his students at various local schools, and moved from one facility to another because they did not have a permanent place to train students.
He said that 16 of his students had also bagged Guinness World Records, along with countless gold medals at the national and international levels, which shows the potential of the youth in his area. It may be mentioned here that around five months ago, Irfan Mehsood had secured his 100th Guinness World Record. He broke the first record in 2016, which makes him the only Asian to have broken 100 Guinness World Records in just eight years.
‘They did not treat me well… they did not treat me like a hero… I am a sportsman, and sportsmen deserve respect’
In recognition of his dedication and struggle, Irfan Mehsood was called by the provincial sports minister, who wanted to reward him with a cash prize and a government job as a coach. During the meeting, he made some requests to the provincial authorities, including the director general and secretary of sports, asking for funds for his fight club so that the students could have better facilities.
However, he was disheartened when they refused his requests, citing a lack of funds to provide necessary equipment for the club. He recounted that the officials began ‘bargaining’ with him, and eventually handed him a Rs500,000 cheque, which he said was not enough to meet his own needs, let alone the needs of the students. He later returned the cheque, primarily because the gesture stipulated that he would have to accept the job as a coach on a monthly salary of Rs35,000, which he said was peanuts.
“They did not treat me well… they did not treat me like a hero… I am a sportsman, and sportsmen [at least] deserve respect,” he said in a video message. He said he had earlier refused job offers because he wanted to continue with his sports activities. In another video message, Irfan Mehsood said his Lion’s Den Fight Club had some support from the military as well, and he thanked them for providing equipment that had helped his students train effectively. But he mentioned the equipment usually wears out in a few months and they were constantly in need of new training gear.
PARADOX LIFE
Irfan Mehsood continued to train Sufiyan, ensuring he maintained his routine even in tough weather conditions. After almost three years of rigorous training, the prodigy child, who is often called the ‘karate kid’, broke the first record, showcasing his skills and speed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was one of the first ones to felicitate Sufiyan, saying that he had brought laurels to the country. The Mehsood family’s achievements are a source of pride for every Pakistani.
Sufiyan Mehsood has just begun his journey, and his record is likely the first of many milestones that he will reach. Despite his remarkable achievement, Sufiyan, like his father, received only praise and no monetary rewards. This points to a broader issue faced by talented athletes coming from underprivileged areas. They continue to live in a paradox, in which they need necessary support from the government to excel, but the support is promised only after they have excelled.