00 The 28-year-old wrestler continues to practice wrestling while delivering milk door-to-door to support his family.
00 He travels 20 km to practice in a mud arena and 40 km to Jammu for mat training.Raipur. When Hamam Hussain of Jammu and Kashmir isn't practicing wrestling, he works door-to-door delivering milk with his elder brother. For 28-year-old Hamam, a resident of Zorawar village in Jammu, life and sports have always gone hand in hand. After his father's death five years ago, the responsibility of the family fell on his and his elder brother's shoulders. Together, they sold milk to support the household, while Hamam kept his wrestling dream alive. This struggle finally paid off at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026, where Hamam won the gold medal in the men's 79 kg freestyle category, defeating Mohit Kumar of Himachal Pradesh. This is the first national-level gold medal in his 14-year wrestling career."My elder brother was also a wrestler and had played at the state level. After my father's death, all the responsibility fell on me. My brother had to give up wrestling and started selling milk. I also used to go with him to deliver milk because it was important to run the family. But my brother always encouraged me to continue wrestling and would take me to wrestling matches," Hamam told SAI Media. Hamam said that the buffaloes left behind by his father became the family's source of livelihood. Hamam, a father of one child, said, "My brother ran the household by selling milk and I used to help him. But when I stepped into the mud arena, I fell in love with this sport."

Despite limited resources, Hamam never lost hope. He practices in a mud arena about 20 kilometers from his village and travels about 40 kilometers to Jammu to train on the mat, all while juggling his work responsibilities. He said, "The SAI center is in Jammu, and since we live in a low-lying area, it's difficult to go there regularly. We usually only go there during competitions; otherwise, we practice in the village arena." 
Hamam further added, "I don't have a personal coach. Senior wrestlers guide us in the arena. Coaches are present when we practice on the mat. Villages don't have the same facilities as cities. If better facilities are available, wrestlers from our region can win more medals at the national and international levels." For Hamam, this gold medal is not just a victory, but a symbol of years of struggle and dedication. He concluded, "It feels great to be here. The facilities here are excellent." We come from a backward area where there isn't much support for wrestling, so we have to travel far and wide. This is the first time such a competition has been held for us. If more such events are held, we can win more medals.