In Jammu, Hamam Hussain, a wrestler, also helps deliver milk with his brother to support their family after their father’s passing five years ago. Despite these responsibilities, Hussain recently clinched the men’s 79kg freestyle gold at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 by defeating Mohit Kumar from Himachal Pradesh.
Hussain shared that after their father’s demise, his brother had to give up wrestling to sell milk for the family’s upkeep. Motivated by his brother, Hussain continued wrestling, balancing it with milk deliveries. The Hussain tribe member highlighted the challenges of limited resources but never lost hope in pursuing his wrestling dreams.
Training in a mud akhada 20 km away from his village and traveling 40 km to Jammu for mat practice, Hussain juggles his wrestling aspirations with work commitments. Despite the lack of personal coaching and advanced facilities, he credits senior wrestlers in the akhada for guiding him and emphasizes the need for better resources for wrestlers in rural areas.
For Hussain, the gold medal signifies years of hard work and perseverance, underscoring the importance of improved support for wrestling in remote regions. He expressed gratitude for the recent competition and believes that organizing more such events can pave the way for increased success for wrestlers from underprivileged areas.
