Overview
Hawa Singh (1937–2000) was an Indian amateur boxer from Haryana, regarded as one of the most successful Indian heavyweight boxers of his era. He won the gold medal in the heavyweight category at the Asian Games in 1966 (Bangkok) and 1970 (Bangkok), becoming the only Indian boxer to win two consecutive Asian Games gold medals. He also dominated the Indian national boxing championships through the 1960s, winning the heavyweight title for several consecutive years.
Key facts
| Full name | Hawa Singh |
|---|---|
| Born | 1937, Umarwas, Bhiwani district, Haryana (then part of Punjab) |
| Died | 14 August 2000 |
| Sport | Amateur boxing |
| Weight class | Heavyweight |
| Service | Indian Army |
| Major honours | Asian Games gold (1966, 1970); Arjuna Award (1966); Padma Shri (1999) |
Background
Hawa Singh was born in 1937 in the village of Umarwas in the Bhiwani region of present-day Haryana. He came from a Jat farming family and joined the Indian Army, where he was introduced to boxing in the services sports system. The Army's boxing programme provided him with formal coaching and opportunities to compete at national and international levels.
Career
Asian Games
At the 1966 Asian Games held in Bangkok, Hawa Singh won the gold medal in the heavyweight division. He repeated the feat at the 1970 Asian Games, also held in Bangkok, retaining his title in the heavyweight class. These two successive gold medals remain a benchmark in Indian amateur boxing.
National championships
Hawa Singh was the dominant heavyweight at the Indian National Boxing Championships through the second half of the 1960s and into the early 1970s, winning the senior national heavyweight title for ten consecutive years, a record that remained unmatched for decades.
Coaching
After retiring from competitive boxing, Hawa Singh became a coach and was associated with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) boxing centre at Bhiwani. His coaching laid the foundation of what later came to be popularly known as the "Bhiwani Boxing Club" tradition, which produced several internationally successful Indian boxers.
Honours and recognition
- Arjuna Award (1966) — for outstanding performance in boxing.
- Padma Shri (1999) — for his contribution to Indian sport.
- Asian Games gold medals: 1966 and 1970, heavyweight category.
- Multiple-time national heavyweight champion.
Legacy
Hawa Singh is credited with putting Bhiwani on the boxing map of India. The town subsequently became a major nursery of Indian boxing, producing Olympic medallists and Asian Games medallists in later generations. The Hawa Singh Boxing Academy in Bhiwani is named in his honour and continues to train young boxers. His record of two consecutive Asian Games heavyweight gold medals is frequently cited in discussions of Indian boxing history.
Personal life and death
Hawa Singh lived in Bhiwani after his retirement from active competition. He died on 14 August 2000. His son, Sanjay Kumar, also represented India in boxing.