Once a boxing ring hero now reduced to a pickup auto driver for Adib Khan the thrill of his last fight still makes him nostalgic. He may not be a Balboa or a Tyson but his credentials as a boxer are not the ones that the country should forget. But that has definitely happened.
From an inter college champion to a worker in Saudi Arabia, an auto driver and loader, 60 year old Abid Khan has gone through the full hog in life but his innate boxer has not let go of him. A Panjab University Inter-College champion, who has seven siblings he is a bronze winner in North India Senior Boxing Championship at Phillaur, Punjab. He followed it up with a silver in Shimla before winning the Seventh North India Senior Boxing Championship at Chandigarh in 1985. Armed with a NIS diploma in 1988, no job and financial instability he was forced to take the road steering his way through streets. After his return to India from Saudi Arabia, he worked as a driver and loader for a private firm. He started a pick-up auto but was scrapped. He was forced to take to driving an auto when two square meals a day were his necessity with the responsibility of a family on his shoulder.
All these years made him believe that in this country, poor sports-persons only suffer.
Last month, some of Khan’s friends started a campaign to help him but only after his video got viral that most of the boxers are coming to support Khan. For his friends the upright man that he is resulted in him getting no job.
Once a boxer now forced to do odd jobs, mastering the straight punch, Adib Khan keeps the flag of his profession high through training young guns
His story has been shared by likes of Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh, 2010 CWG champion Manoj Kumar and Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar. Motivated with the support he has got he once again wants to start coaching. Friends across the board want him back to the ring coaching.
As good times return these days Khan is busy teaching kids straight punches. He shares his guru Balkar Singh’s mantra to perfect he straight punch with his pupils. May we see more action from Khan in coming times.
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