How a daily wager bolstered his son’s dream to win Maharashtra Kesari

MUMBAI: Rashid Shaikh, 52, and his wife Mumtaz, 45, fight hard to hold back their tears as they go over the pictures of their son Sikandar being celebrated in a massive victory procession in Kolhapur, on Wednesday. This year, the 25-year-old has won the prestigious Maharashtra Kesari – the annual wrestling championship organised by the Maharashtra Kustigir Parishad since 1854.It was no easy win. The contest was closely watched by the wrestling fraternity across India this year, as Sikandar suffered injustice last year. He was close to clinching the title, until the referee “erroneously” gave away four extra points to the rival contestant. It led to outrage in the fraternity, but all Sikander said at the time was, “Inshallah, I will prepare and enter the contest next year.”Today, he feels the bigger win “is to see the huge outpouring of support from across the state. Campaigns backing me went on throughout the year – their ferociousness would both overwhelm and shock me”.The Shaikhs feel as if they are in a dream. Rashid, who works as a headload porter, has struggled to put finances together to push his son’s talent. “We have lived in abject poverty. Now, to see Sikandar with the Kolhapur royal -- Chhatrapati Shahu II -- the district collector, superintendent of police, the municipal commissioner and all the top politicians from the region was something else,” said Rashid. “Today I feel that decades of our struggles have been worthwhile. This is the best thing I could have done.”Sikandar is visibly uncomfortable with the praise coming his way. “Abba wanted to be a wrestler. He had a natural built, strength and stamina but he had to work as porter forgetting his dream because there was no one to support him with money for his diet or training,” he said.Rashid wished his sons Hussain and Sikandar would actualise his dream. He would wake up early and get both the boys out for a run, push-ups and sit-ups, “even smacking us if we slacked”. “He would not allow ammi to intervene if he was being strict,” said Sikandar.His brother did not show much interest but Sikandar took to the sport early. Rashid knew his son had the potential. “He needed professional training under the best ustad,” said Rashid.Rashid then brought his 12-year-old from Mohol, on the outskirts of Solapur, where they lived to the wrestling capital of the country – Kolhapur, 220 km away. “I brought him to the Gangavesh Talim (started by Chhatrapati Shahu I) and requested Ustad Vishwas Dada Harugule to keep him in his tutelage,” reminisced Rashid.Harugule, a veteran champion himself, said, “I would have sent back any aspirant coming from poverty right away, saving both their as well as my time. But when I saw Sikandar doing 50 push-ups with ease I realised he was an unpolished diamond.”It was now on Rashid to raise ₹20,000 every month for his son’s diet and training. It was not easy, as he barely made between ₹400-500 each day; and on days when he did not get much work, the family would scrounge for even a single meal. He was compelled to ask people for help.Was that awkward? “The hungry and the poor don’t have that luxury,” said Rashid.Many came forward with funds, “even a small sum of ₹50 went a long way”. In the Hindu-dominated village religious differences were set aside, and “all that mattered was Sikandar bringing the Maharashtra Kesari title to our village”.“He is called the village’s son now,” he said.While there are victory processions being planned across Maharashtra, beginning from Pune, Sikandar’s next goal is to “represent India and do my country proud”.“I have the image of Khashaba Jadhav, independent India’s first athlete to win an Olympic medal (1952 Helsinki) in my mind while practising. My struggles are nothing compared to his,” said Sikandar. “I only hope wrestling is free of petty politicking – it demoralises young wrestlers.”