Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, May 17: After winning the Asian U-15 Boxing Gold medal recently, Mohammed Yasser from Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district has appealed to the Government for sponsorship, prize money and residential support to continue his sporting journey and prepare for upcoming International competitions, including the Olympics. He has also sought urgent financial assistance to sustain his training, education and basic livelihood needs.
Yasser, who works as a cook in a paying guest accommodation in Rajouri, has created history by becoming the first athlete from the Union Territory to win an Asian-level boxing gold. Despite this remarkable achievement, he says no official financial reward or institutional support has been provided so far, prompting his appeal for immediate intervention from the Government and sports authorities.
Behind his success lies a deeply challenging journey marked by poverty and personal tragedy. In 2018, Yasser lost both his father and his family home, pushing the household into severe financial distress. Since then, his mother, Naseem Akhter, has been working as a domestic help in local households to sustain the family. Yasser has been simultaneously managing his studies, intense boxing training, and part-time work as a cook to support household expenses and help his younger siblings.
For the past eight years, Yasser and his family have been living in an old DIET building in Rajouri under highly unsafe and dilapidated conditions, marked by seepage, poor sanitation, and inadequate basic facilities.
“I am the first International boxer from Jammu and Kashmir and my dream is to win an Olympic medal for India, but I need Government sponsorship. So far, no support has reached me,” Yasser said.
He added that even during his participation in the Asian Championship, he continued working part-time, with his brother stepping in to manage his duties at the PG accommodation. “I urge the Government to provide financial support so I can focus fully on boxing,” he said.
Yasser credited his success to his coach Ishtyaq Malik, Head Coach at the Khelo India Centre in Rajouri, acknowledging his constant guidance, financial help, and moral support.
Coach Ishtyaq Malik also urged authorities to extend immediate financial assistance and prize money to the young boxer. He said Yasser comes from an extremely poor background with no stable housing or financial backing, and assured that adequate support would help him concentrate fully on training and deliver stronger performances for the country in future International events.
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