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By Saurabh Duggal

At 19, Birju Sah became the country’s first boxer to win medals in both Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. He clinched bronze in 1994 CWG held in Victoria in Canada, followed by a bronze medal finish in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan.

After the end of the year (1994), he was ranked number seven in the world.

Cut short to 2021 - Birju’s international accomplishments faded into oblivion and because of circumstances he is working as a security guard, earning Rs 400 per day, for survival. The 46-year-old former boxing great has been working as a security guard with a private company for the last six years in Tatanagar, Jharkhand.

But despite hardships he is facing, his passion for the combat sport has not reduced and after his security guard shift, he gives free coaching to the young budding boxers, mostly coming from the under privileged section of the society, at his locality – Birsa Nagar.

Birju started his international boxing career with a bronze in the 48kg weight category in the 1993 Junior Asian Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.

He rose to become the country’s big name in boxing after making a podium finish in 1994 Commonwealth and Asian Games.

He got a job under the sports quota in Tata Steel and the 1994 feat got him a promotion to Sports Officer. But things feel out and because of a mental suppression followed by a head injury forced him to lose a job in 2005. After that life was not kind to him and he was forced to do menial jobs to take care of his wife, two kids and paralyzed father.     

 “I want to produce world-class boxers, even better than Birju Sah. The kids here at Birsa Boxing Centre (started by E Lakra) are very good and you will see them ruling the boxing scene in the coming years,” says Asian and Commonwealth Games medallist Birju Sah. “I have no complaints from life that I am working as a security guard to take care of my family. For me, boxing is more important."