Asifabad: 65-year-old boxing club in Kaghaznagar continues to spar

Muthu Boxing Club is the only club in these parts of the Telangana to have survived so long.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: A 65-year-old boxing club in Kaghaznagar town continues to produce talented boxers despite financial challenges. Perhaps, it is the only club in these parts of the State to have survived so long.

In the narrow lanes of the Sirsilk Colony near Mahankali temple in Kaghaznagar town, a boxing ring erected by plastic cables and cement poles under a large tree stands testimony to the glory of the oldest club of erstwhile Adilabad district. The ruined ring belongs to Muthu Boxing Club which was established by Muthu who migrated from Hyderabad to the town in search of livelihood in 1958.

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The boxing club has been a reliable destination for budding boxers not only from Kaghaznagar but remote parts of the neighboring Sirpur (T), Dahegaon, Koutala, Bejjur, Penchikalpet and Chintalamanepalli mandals for over six decades. It has been teaching the combat sport to enthusiastic students for free. The credit goes to the dedication and commitment of Muthu Sekhar, the 64-year old son of the club’s founder Muthu.

The achievements of the club include P Laxmi Priya from Sirsilk Colony winning a silver medal at a national level boxing competition held by the national boxing association in Bengaluru in 2017 and participating in another boxing event in Haryana in 2021. M Sai from Sirsilk Colony won a bronze medal in a university level boxing competition in 2021.

“The club produced around 2,000 boxers including around 100 state and 50 national level players so far. Some of the boxers cracked posts with government departments such as Indian Railways. It used to be run with the help of sponsors in the past, but now students contribute funds to meet expenditure of the club and players,” Muthu Sekhar told ‘Telangana Today.’

Shekhar has passionately been carrying forward the legacy of his father since 1979. He recalled that Muthu, who passed away in 1992, learned the art of boxing from British officials in Hyderabad.
The veteran coach said he felt content to be producing talented boxers from the town and remote parts of Sirpur (T) assembly constituency. To his credit, Sekhar has also participated in state level events.