Ranjit Thakur
JAMMU, Apr 1: Hamam Hussain, a 28-year-old cop of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, has brought immense pride to the Union Territory by winning the Gold Medal in the maiden Khelo India Tribal Games held at Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh.
Hailing from village Jeora, tehsil Suchetgarh, Jammu, Hamam has been practicing wrestling on mud akhadas for over a decade while also helping his family by selling milk in his spare time. His perseverance and dedication culminated in a remarkable victory at the national-level games, where he clinched the gold in the 97 kg freestyle wrestling category.
Currently serving in the Jammu and Kashmir Police (IRP) since 2018, Hamam spoke to EXCELSIOR over the phone about his journey. “Before joining the police, I sold milk to support my family. It’s our family business, which my father managed for decades. After he passed away a few years ago, my elder brother Khadam Hussain took over,” he said. “Despite my duties and practice, I tried to help my brother. But once I stepped into the akhada, I was fascinated by wrestling.”
Hussain said his elder brother, Khadam Hussain, who was also a wrestler, left the sport after the death of their father; however, he managed to keep his wrestling dream alive.
“I started wrestling when I was around 10 or 12 years old in the akhada of our village, where there were hardly any facilities. Senior wrestlers in the akhada guided us. In villages, we do not get the kind of facilities that wrestlers in cities have. If we had better facilities, wrestlers from our region could win more medals at national and international levels,” he said.
“I got proper facilities after joining the police, where I trained under coaches such as Rakesh Sharma and Krishan Singh, both from the police department. We have good facilities at Gulshan Ground, where I regularly practice under their guidance and have also won two bronze medals in the All India Police Games in 2024-25,” he added.
Chef-de-Mission Suraj Bhan Singh praised Hamam’s achievement, stating, “Hamam Hussain’s performance in the maiden Khelo India Tribal Games was exceptional. Out of the 12-member squad, six other wrestlers also won medals.” He added that the team competed in wrestling, weightlifting, and athletics and hoped to be even better prepared in the next edition of the games.
Other medal winners from Jammu and Kashmir in wrestling at the Tribal Games included Silver medalists Bahadur Khan (86 kg freestyle), Shaman Hoon (97 kg Greco-Roman), Reyaz Hussain (87 kg Greco-Roman), and Diler Khan (130 kg Greco-Roman). Bronze medals were claimed by Mohd Wasim (97 kg freestyle) and Injmam Hussain (77 kg Greco-Roman).
Hamam Hussain’s journey from village akhadas to the national stage exemplifies dedication, discipline, and resilience, inspiring young athletes across Jammu and Kashmir to pursue their sporting dreams despite challenges.
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