Muntakim makes a mark ‘around the moon’

"The walls in our living room turned white because he would practice football there," Shahinur Akter said as she reflected on Muntakim Ul Islam's dedication after her son forged another freestyle world record on June 21.

The official record is for 'most 'around the moon' football control tricks in 30 seconds', of which he recorded 27. That means he moved a football around his neck 27 times in 30 second, breaking the previous record of 25 times in 30 seconds.

"I have been practicing since 2020. I learned from YouTube. I learned from Facebook later that there was a chance for a world record in the 'around the moon' category. Before applying, I practiced for six months, two to three hours a day," 16-year-old Muntakim said.

"I applied in June last year and the Guinness authorities scrutinised my videos and photographic evidence before informing me about my record in November last year," the teenager, who lives in Chattogram's Agrabad locality, added.

Shahinur also shared how her son's passion had given them relief amid lockdowns and the fear of Covid-19.

"When Covid-19 started and educational institutions were getting shut down, we were worried about Muntakim. But he proved he could utilise his time by studying and practicing football. We have no playground near our house, my son used to practice in the drawing room, his bedroom and on the roof. I wish my son will prove a good human being too in the near future," she added.