My CWG medal is my gift to my sister: Boxer Sagar Ahlawat

Boxer Sagar Ahlawat won a silver at the recent Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. He talks about the medal being a perfect Raksha Bandhan present for his sister, Tamanna Ahlawat, and also shares the bittersweet emotions of having missed out on a gold finish.

The pressure of performing well at the international level in the debut performance is hard to imagine. Yet, in his very first international appearance, boxer Sagar Ahlawat won silver at the recent Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Still trying to overcome a barrage of bittersweet emotions, he says,“Yeh mera pehla international competition hai aur maine apna poora effort diya. Main bahut khush hoon silver medal laakar. Lekin abhi thodi nirasha bhi mehsoos kar raha hoon kyunki gold nahi laa saka. But the hard work goes on, and I will keep giving my all in training.”

‘Next time gold lekar hi aana hai!’

In the men’s 92kg boxing category he came so close to gold and yet missed it. The 23-year-old continues to brim with immense self belief and determination as he says, “The entire nation is giving me so much love and respect, our Prime Minister has also sent congratulatory messages to us. Sabka pyar dekhkar andar chah uth chuki hai ki next time gold lekar hi aana hai! The moment I step in the ring, the thought in my mind is that this is my chance to put into play all the hard yards I have put in training.”

The youngster feels every athlete has its own “unique array of qualities” that can be inspirational for others. “I have always tried to inculcate good training habits in myself, which has helped me achieve success at this competition. With the right mindset, I will continue getting stronger and better,” says the athlete from Jhajjar, Haryana, who has returned to his friends and family for a welcome with dhol beats and jubilation. “Ghar gaye 6–7 mahine hogaye. Ab thode din apne gaon mein bitana chahta hoon. I want to spend some time with my friends and family before returning to training. There is a lot for me to achieve in the near future and I will continue to strive for the best,” he says.

“Yeh medal mera taufa hai meri behen ke liye. Hum har saal rakhi manate hain aur is saal bhi bahut achhe se yeh tyohaar manayenge, par medal ki khushi ke saath,” says the boxer, adding, “Bachpan se hum bhai-behen saath rahe hain isliye bahut pyar hai humare beech. Mujhse sirf teen mahine hi badi hain meri behen, lekin unse kaafi seekha hai maine aur humesha kaafi support mila hai mujhe unse har kaam mein. Didi toh padhai mein bhi bahut achhi thi, par main fail ho gaya tha (giggles).”

His sister, Tamanna Ahlawat, adds, “Is Rakhi ka taufa to aa gaya! Is medal se aage aur kya hi taufa hoga mere liye. Haan, ho sake toh agli baar rakhi pe gold medal bhi le kar aayega yeh… Yeh bachpan se hi thoda zyada shararti tha. Padhai se bhagta tha isliye dant bhi khata tha. Lekin isne bahut hard work kara hai. Kuchh 4–5 saal huye hain ise boxing karte hue aur yeh medal bhi le aaya hai.”