Slum resident from Malvani bags gold at U-17 boxing championship

Asad Shah, who represented Maharashtra and defeated Mukul Labela, the contender from Delhi, on December 15 to emerge as the champion among over 400 participants

Mumbai: Asad Shah, a 16-year-old boy who hails from a slum settlement in Malvani, has bagged the gold medal at the under-17 national boxing championship despite not having access to a professional trainer, equipment or even the money to travel every day to Kandivali, where his physical trainer from school coached him after classes.

Slum resident from Malvani bags gold at U-17 boxing championship

“I am grateful to my friends and the coach who made extra efforts for me,” said Shah, who represented Maharashtra and defeated Mukul Labela, the contender from Delhi, on December 15 to emerge as the champion among over 400 participants. The tournament was organised by School Games Federation of India, a non-profit, and held in Delhi.

Shah was introduced to boxing as an adolescent by his neighborhood and school friends. His skills in the sport were noticed by Krishna Soni, who was the physical training instructor at Ideal English School, Malad, where he was enrolled. Soni personally trained Shah at a gym-cum-training center in Kandivali for five years without charging a fee. He also provided the latter with a basic kit as his parents – his mother is a homemaker and his father, a helper at a corporate firm – could not afford the same.

Shah’s parents, in fact, were also too poor to afford the daily travel expenses from Malvani to Kandivali. “I and my 12 friends walked five kms to and fro every day because of our passion for boxing,” said Shah. “The coach provided a basic kit and even the entry fees for boxing tournaments while friends pitched in at times.”

Currently a first-year student at KES junior college, Kandivali, Shah has been living in Bengaluru for the past two years as he is training for national competitions at the Indian Institute of Sports (IIS). He visits Mumbai every two months or so to appear for exams and attend classes.

“It is a struggle to maintain balance between training and studies although the hardships are relatively lesser compared to the initial years,” he said.

His school and college have been supportive of his pursuits, he said, adding, “I would like to make the country proud and fulfil everyone’s dreams.”