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| Sunday, 2 October 2005 |
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Karate loses a great worker with death of Sensei Mohamed Thassim The sudden death of Sensei Mohamed Nazir Thassim creates a vacuum difficult to fill in the Karate scene in Sri Lanka. A pioneer in the local Karate circle, this second most senior Karate specialist bade goodbye to all his loved ones on Sunday 28 August 2005. Death was sudden, but the call from Allah had to be fulfilled however painful. More painful too for all those who missed the funeral especially his loyal students some of whom have been with him for over twenty years. Sri Lankan karate has much to thank Sensei Thassim for. He made a tremendous effort to expand and propagate the Shotokan style of Karate and did the island proud by his contribution towards the uplift of this sport he had a craze for over the past 36 years, without such dedication, it would not be what it is today. A founder member of the Sri Lankan Karate-do Federation, Sensei Thassim served as President of the Federation in the early years and at the time of his death he was the Vice-President Administration. He also served as National Referee/Judge and a member of the Selection Committee in the Federation and Asst. Technical Director for Shotokan Karate-de. Thassim, a former National Champion and a 4th Dan Black Belt holder made a successful tour of South India in 1975 and represented Sri Lanka in 1976 at the Asian Pacific Union of Karate-do Organisation championship held in Jakarta. He officiated as Manager for the Sri Lanka Junior Karate team in early 2003 at the 6th AUKO/AKF Championships held in Japan. An old Peterite, in 1990 he initiated the introduction of karate to schools with the support of the then Director of Sports of the Ministry of Education to a level where school tournaments are a regular annual feature. He was Karate instructor to St. Peter's College, Carey College, Hameed Al Husseini Maha Vidyalaya, Presbyterian Girls School and Zahira College. Parents have shown their appreciation to Sensei Thassim for the discipline their children have picked up since the introduction of this sport in schools. In 1994 he set up the Nihon Karate- do Kenshinka Sri Lanka branch as representative of Grand Master Shihan Satoshi Nishitani and was Chief Instructor to a membership of over 600 students of all ages in various training centres under the NKK umbrella. He has senior Black Belts awaiting their grading to Nidan in the near future. The NKK annual tournament is an event looked forward to keenly by his karatekas. |
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