Who was Kaur Singh, the legendary Indian boxer who fought Muhammad Ali?
Kaur Singh was a legendary Indian boxer who died on Thursday at 74. He was the only Indian boxer to have pot the legendary Muhammad Ali. Here's more about him.
FollowIt's a sad day for the Indian boxing paternity as the legendary Kaur Singh passed away at 74 on Thursday. While many might not be aware of his legacy, he is the only Indian boxer to have for the late-great Muhammad Ali. The Indian heavyweight champion boxer hailed from Punjab and had represented India in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He had won three gold medals in the national boxing championship, Asian Boxing Championship and Asian Games.
Kau was born in the Khanal Khurd village in Sangrur of the East Punjab province during British rule in 1948/1949, as he was born into a Jat Sikh family. While he began as a farmer, he joined the Indian Army in 1973 at 23, participating in the India-Pakistan war and winning the Sena Medal for his unmatched bravery and the Vishisht Sewa Medal in 1988.
As for his boxing career, it remains unclear when he started it. However, in 1979, he grasped his maiden gold medal during the senior national boxing championship and held on to it for four more years. In 1980, he also won the gold during the Asian Boxing Championship in Mumbai.
A couple of years later, Kaur again held gold in the heavyweight category of the Asian Games held in New Delhi. During the same year, he was also honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. A year later, he was also conferred with the honourable Padma Shri award by the Government of India.
In 1984, he called time on his brief yet reputable boxing career after representing the country during the Los Angeles Olympics, where he had won two opening bouts before losing the third. Meanwhile, one of the highlights of his short career was fighting the legendary American boxer Ali in 1980 at the National Stadium in Delhi, an exhibition match of four rounds.
About his bout with Ali, Kaur had once told The Indian Express, "Us de mukke bahut hi dumdar si [His punches possessed a great amount of power]. I clearly remember that jab, his famous jab. It seemed to come out of nowhere. He used his right hand to block my punches and his counterpunch to hit me. His speed was amazing; not once during those four rounds did the speed drop. He was shorter than me, but his ring craft and movement took him out of my reach."
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