Real life 'Dangal': Samsamuddin's tryst with boxing

Samsamuddin's tryst with boxing resembles Aamir Khan's character in Dangal movie. Forced by financial constraints, he left his career in boxing and today he provides training for free to boxing aspirants who won international and national level competitions.

Nizamabad:Have you seen the movie Dangal? The protagonist of the film, who was preparing for wrestling competitions with the intention of becoming a champion, is unable to fulfil the goal due to family circumstances and responsibilities. Yet he trains his daughters. Eventually, he realizes his dream by his daughter's achievement.

The story of Samsamuddin from Nizamabad district is quite similar to the movie. Despite excelling nationally in boxing competitions, he abandoned his dream of becoming a world champion midway due to the financial circumstances of his family. However, he ensured that his five sons underwent training. In fact, not just his sons, but he trained many other aspirants to become national and international level boxers without charging them a single rupee!!

Samsamuddin, who originally hails from Nizamabad, won the national boxing tournament in Punjab at the age of 13 years. However, his talent was limited to the state-level competitions and he could not reach the national level owing to the financial situation of his family.

Later, he joined a welding workshop to earn his livelihood. Then, he joined the Army too. After returning from there, he opened a tea shop and a bicycle stand in Nizamabad as the family burden increased with his marriage and children.

Despite doing all the work and struggling with family responsibilities, he never gave up boxing, which was his passion. He wanted to realize his dream that was left unfulfilled, by giving the aspirants proper training. He became a coach and sponsored five sons into the boxing ring.

Two of those who underwent their father's rigorous training excelled in international and three national-level competitions. One of his students, Ettesamuddin, represented the country four times in international competitions between the years 2014-16. His fifth son, Husamuddin won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Junior Boxing Championships.

Currently, Husamuddin reached the semi-finals of the World Senior Boxing Championships taking place in Germany. Samsamuddin stated that three of his sons are serving as the JCOs in the Indian Army and they are successfully placed there only through the sports quota. Another son got a job in the Railways in sports quota and another son was a boxing coach in Hyderabad.

Discipline is by itself the fees for training

Various aspirants ranging from children to college-going students come to him seeking his guidance and training. The only fee he takes from them is ‘discipline’. At the age of seventy, he trains many students in the morning and evening, despite the extreme weather. He ensures that the boxers who are trained by him participated in every competition that takes place in the country. He acts as the team coach and manager on behalf of those entering the ring.

Except for three months during the Corona period, the training camp continued on the field in the suburbs of Nizamabad. His trainees have competed dozens of national-level competitions and won medals. Nikhat Zareen from Nizamabad, one of the country's female star boxers, was also the first mentor.

Sansamuddin was also instrumental in the formation of the Nizamabad Boxing Association three decades ago. He continues to be an inspirational figure in today’s boxing arena!!