All those efforts finally paid off at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026, where the 28-year-old wrestler from Jorawar village in Jammu won the men\u2019s 79kg freestyle gold, defeating Mohit Kumar of Himachal Pradesh and earning his first national gold in 14 years of wrestling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMy elder brother was also a wrestler and had competed at the state level. After our father passed away, all responsibilities came on our shoulders. My brother had to quit wrestling and started selling milk. I would go with him to deliver milk, as it was necessary for us to run the family. But he motivated me to continue wrestling and took me to dangals,\u201d Hussain told SAI Media.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe buffaloes our father left behind became our source of livelihood. My brother ran the household by selling milk, and I helped him. But once I stepped into the mud akhada, I was fascinated with the sport,\u201d said the father of one, who belongs to the Hussain tribe in Jammu.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite having limited facilities, Hamam never lost hope. He trains almost 20 km from his village in a mud akhada and commutes about 40 km to Jammu for mat practice, while still managing his work duties.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe SAI centre is in Jammu and we live in a lower region, so it is quite far for us. It is difficult to go there regularly for practice. We usually go only when there are competitions there; otherwise, we train in mud akhadas.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite having limited facilities, Hamam never lost hope. He trains almost 20 km from his village in a mud akhada and commutes about 40 km to Jammu for mat practice, while still managing his work duties.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Hamam views this gold not merely as a medal but as a symbol of years of effort and dedication. \u201cIt feels great to be here. The facilities provided were very good. We come from a backward area where there is not much support for wrestling, so we have to travel long distances to train. This is the first time such a competition has been organised for us, and if more such events are held, we can win more medals,\u201d he signed off.<\/p>\r\n\r\n