Chandigarh: A fight in his building could have taken Amandev’s life in a very different direction. Instead, it became the moment that changed it.Growing up in Attawa, Amandev found himself involved in a fight that escalated. Like many youngsters in the neighbourhood, he could have been drawn into a cycle of fights, drugs and aimless days. But that evening, his father, an auto-rickshaw driver, sat him down and asked a simple question: What do you want to do with your life?Aman thought for a while. He remembered a boy from his neighbourhood who was practising boxing and replied that he wanted to take up the sport.His father did not question twice. He enrolled Aman for boxing at the Sector 42 Sports Complex. Years later, that decision has taken the youngster from the lanes of Attawa to the Indian squad for the U-19 Youth World Boxing Championships, to be held in Budva, Montenegro, from Oct 14 to 28.Aman has been selected in the 50-kg category following trials held at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala.For the youngster, the selection is more than just a sporting achievement. “I am very proud. It is a dream come true,” he says.Aman currently trains at the SAI Rohtak Training Academy and is pursuing Class XII through open schooling. His home is in Attawa where his parents and younger brother live. His father drives an auto-rickshaw, while his mother is a homemaker.The family lives in a rented one-room apartment, and pursuing a sporting career has not always been easy.Aman recalls how even getting proper boxing shoes was once a struggle. His first pair, bought by his father, lasted for nearly 3-4 months before the ankle area became worn out. The condition of the shoes eventually made it difficult for him to train.His coach, Jai Hind, noticed the problem and asked him what had happened. When he learnt that Aman was struggling because of his shoes, he stepped in and bought him another pair. With the support of coaches Bhagwant Singh and Jai Hind, Aman continued training.For Aman, the support he received from his coaches and father has been as important as his own hard work.“My father has adjusted a lot for me,” he says.Last year, Aman won a bronze medal at the Junior Asian Boxing Championship 2025. This time, he is determined to go a step further. With the World Championships ahead, he has been working particularly on his physical fitness and areas of his game that need improvement.His target is clear, a gold.But behind the ambition is a deeper gratitude for the decision his father made that evening after the fight.Aman believes that had his father not sat him down and spoken to him that day, his life could have taken a completely different turn.He says he could have ended up getting involved in drugs, fights and “timepass”, as he puts it, instead of pursuing a dream.Today, the same boy from Attawa is preparing to step into a world championship ring wearing India’s colours.
