Former boxer Syamsul now lord of his own ring<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
There is a satisfied look on the face of Syamsul Anwar Harahap
\nas he surveys workers completing the construction of a boxing
\ncamp at his home in Cibubur, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Building a boxing camp has been my vow for a long time,\" the
\nformer Asian light welterweight champion told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Situated on 400 square meters in his leafy compound, the camp
\nwill provide training for youngsters from nearby areas to become
\nboxers -- for free.<\/p>\n
Its realization shows his love for his sport, an effort to
\nshare with others the opportunities and rewards provided to him.
\nIt will be a place for youth -- so often caught up in brawls or
\nother forms of delinquency -- to vent their adolescent angst.<\/p>\n
\"This boxing camp is the manifestation of my dedication to
\nboxing, where I changed my destiny from a disabled child into a
\nchampion,\" the 52-year-old TV commentator said.<\/p>\n
Born in the plantation town of Pematang Siantar, North
\nSumatra, Syamsul contracted polio as an infant, leading to
\nparalysis in his right arm.<\/p>\n
He was the object of cruel taunts.<\/p>\n
\"That was a hard period for me as people always mocked me as a
\n'cripple',\" he recollected.<\/p>\n
But his parents encouraged him to develop the strength in his
\nright arm through physical training; he has said in the past that
\nhis mother would spur him on by telling him about the American
\nsprinter Wilma Rudolph, who overcame polio to become an Olympic
\nchampion.<\/p>\n
After years of building up the strength in his right arm,
\nSyamsul started boxing training with his uncle, who helped him
\nwin his first title.<\/p>\n
Syamsul, aged only 18, then took part in the North Sumatra
\nBoxing Championship, overcoming all opposition to win.<\/p>\n
His victory caused a division in his family.<\/p>\n
His father did not want him to continue fighting, but his
\nmother told him: \"If that's your choice, do it seriously with all
\nyour heart.\"<\/p>\n
He took her advice, eventually becoming one of the country's
\ngreatest boxers and earning the nickname of \"bulldozer\".<\/p>\n
Standing 1.71 meters, he lost only 16 of his 139 bouts from
\n1969-1983 in the division (with a maximum weight of 63.5 kg), and
\nnever suffered a KO.<\/p>\n
From 1972-1982 he was unbeatable at the national level,
\nleading the Indonesian Boxing Association (Pertina) to ban him
\nfrom competing at the National Games.<\/p>\n
As with overcoming his childhood disability, his success in
\nthe ring was built on hard work. Come rain or shine, he trained
\nevery day of the week, always prepared for what lay ahead.<\/p>\n
\"I really enjoyed the 10-year unbeaten period. I practiced in
\nthe morning, went to work, practiced again in the afternoon and
\nstudied at the Indonesian Academy of Secretarial and Management
\nStudies (ASMI) at night.\"<\/p>\n
His two greatest triumphs occurred on home soil. In 1976, he
\ndefeated Thomas Hearns, one of the leading American boxers of the
\nperiod, in the President's Cup.<\/p>\n
A year later, he won the Asian title in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He takes pride in all he has achieved and the problems he has
\novercome, living by the motto \"fortune favors the bold\".<\/p>\n
\"It was the greatest moment for me when I realized that here I
\nwas, someone who was once disabled and often mocked by people
\nbecause of that, but could finally win most of my boxing bouts by
\nbeating normal people.\"<\/p>\n
After retiring from the sport in 1983, Syamsul worked as a
\nmarketing manager for a leading shoe company. He also became a
\ntrainer in a boxing camp but quit because, he said, he did not
\nlike being a \"subordinate\".<\/p>\n
Today, working as a TV commentator, newspaper columnist and
\nwith a mango plantation back in his native North Sumatra, Syamsul
\nseems content in his independence.<\/p>\n
Three of his four children have gone on to study at
\nuniversity, while the youngest is in elementary school.<\/p>\n
\"I prefer to work as a boxing commentator because I am able to
\nfreely criticize the Indonesian trainers, clubs and
\norganizations,\" Syamsul said.<\/p>\n
None of his children has taken up a sports career, something
\nhe is ambivalent about.<\/p>\n
\"I let my children take part in sports since they were young,
\nbut not specifically in boxing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I'm worried that my children would be burdened to have
\nachievements as high as mine if I did force them to box.\"<\/p>",
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