THERE is this old adage that ‘A man is never a King in his own country’. It squarely fits this man who is a Police Officer by profession and has served in that capacity for 12 years.
He is originally from Soufriere and is honored to be a Saint Lucian recipient of a Taiwan 2016 Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Scholarship – and Montelle Felix is his name.
Felix went to Taiwan on a scholarship and first studied Mandarin for a year as a requirement of the scholarship.
Upon hearing of his latest achievement through a very close friend, I immediately e-mailed him for more information – and he never for once hesitated in answering.
This is how he started “On completion of my first scholarship, I applied to further my education and got accepted by the Central Police University, where I am pursuing studies in Crime Prevention and Corrections.
This is the highest level of Police Education at the University in Taiwan. The programme is taught in Mandarin and majority of the text books are in Mandarin. Most people conclude instantly that it’s a difficult language. But being immersed in the Chinese culture, you tend to get used to the language after a while and it seems less difficult.”
VOICE: How did the sport of Judo start for you?
FELIX: On Tuesday 1st May, I participated in a National Intercollegiate Athletic Games tournament for 2018. Fourteen Universities competed in a variety of sporting events.” I took part in the Judo competition where I represented my University (Central Police University) in the open category limit of 100kg+ weight class. There were five competitors in this category. I fought against my four opponents and emerged the gold medal winner, breaking a record at the school by being the first student who’s learned Judo in just five months to win a tournament and attaining black belt in such a short period.
VOICE: Why Judo and not the traditional Taiwanese No.1 sport Baseball?
Felix: Judo is a mandatory course for students at my University because it is imperative that police officers in Taiwan attain a certain level of Judo training. However, judo is not a mandatory course at my level of studies at this University; nonetheless, I decided to choose it as a hobby.”
VOICE: Who encouraged you?
Felix: My Judo teacher saw a hidden talent in me, a potential that I didn’t even know was there so he encouraged me to join the school’s Judo team. I took up the mantle and pushed myself. Prior to the Tournament, I was asked by the coach if I wanted to participate in a tournament at this magnitude. I accepted the challenge and decided to learn from the experience.”
VOICE: Will you continue in the sport?
Felix: I intend to continue my judo training and to take part in more competitions in the short and long run. I want to increase my knowledge and experience in the sport. I have already been approached to participate in two other tournaments in the south of Taiwan later this month.
My motivation and determination has enabled me to overcome some language barriers. My goal is to strive academically and with the discipline obtained from judo I hope I can leave a wonderful reputation and legacy for any other Saint Lucian hoping to study at this university.
Felix took the time out to thank Coach Chen Yinglong for having such a remarkable impact on him.
