In 2005, a teenaged Manpreet Singh ran away from his village to his uncle’s house in Pathankot to take part in an Army recruitment drive, not knowing what the future might have in store. But Singh, son of a vegetable seller in village Palasour Khurd in Taran Taran district of Punjab and eldest of five siblings, had made his decision.

On Friday, a week after he won the silver medal at the Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial tournament in Russia in the 90 Kg category, the Army boxer was picked in the Indian squad for the World Boxing Championships.

“The world championship is something I have always dreamt of. My family had not wanted me to join the Army since I was the oldest child. But in our village, which is close to the border, we keep meeting army personnel, and I was inspired. I wanted to support my family and a lot of things have changed in my family after I joined the Army,” Singh said.

He joined the Army Institute of Sports in 2006 and took up boxing. Singh soon won a string of medals in national as well as international competitions. A gold at the junior nationals in 2006 was followed by a silver at a meet in Bosnia, before he won the senior national gold in 2007.

Most of the those wins had come on borrowed equipment. “The season of 2007-08 was a tough one for me as I had to arrange funds for my sister’s wedding along with participating in international tournaments. Even the prize money after my gold medal at the 2007 World Military Games in Hyderabad was saved for the marriage. A lot of my boxing friends helped me out at that time,” said the 21-year-old, who says 1981 Asian Games medallist Kaur Singh is his inspiration.

... contd.