Former boxer Syamsul now lord of his own ring

Former boxer Syamsul now lord of his own ring

Moch. N. Kurniawan
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

There is a satisfied look on the face of Syamsul Anwar Harahap
as he surveys workers completing the construction of a boxing
camp at his home in Cibubur, East Jakarta.

"Building a boxing camp has been my vow for a long time," the
former Asian light welterweight champion told The Jakarta Post.

Situated on 400 square meters in his leafy compound, the camp
will provide training for youngsters from nearby areas to become
boxers -- for free.

Its realization shows his love for his sport, an effort to
share with others the opportunities and rewards provided to him.
It will be a place for youth -- so often caught up in brawls or
other forms of delinquency -- to vent their adolescent angst.

"This boxing camp is the manifestation of my dedication to
boxing, where I changed my destiny from a disabled child into a
champion," the 52-year-old TV commentator said.

Born in the plantation town of Pematang Siantar, North
Sumatra, Syamsul contracted polio as an infant, leading to
paralysis in his right arm.

He was the object of cruel taunts.

"That was a hard period for me as people always mocked me as a
'cripple'," he recollected.

But his parents encouraged him to develop the strength in his
right arm through physical training; he has said in the past that
his mother would spur him on by telling him about the American
sprinter Wilma Rudolph, who overcame polio to become an Olympic
champion.

After years of building up the strength in his right arm,
Syamsul started boxing training with his uncle, who helped him
win his first title.

Syamsul, aged only 18, then took part in the North Sumatra
Boxing Championship, overcoming all opposition to win.

His victory caused a division in his family.

His father did not want him to continue fighting, but his
mother told him: "If that's your choice, do it seriously with all
your heart."

He took her advice, eventually becoming one of the country's
greatest boxers and earning the nickname of "bulldozer".

Standing 1.71 meters, he lost only 16 of his 139 bouts from
1969-1983 in the division (with a maximum weight of 63.5 kg), and
never suffered a KO.

From 1972-1982 he was unbeatable at the national level,
leading the Indonesian Boxing Association (Pertina) to ban him
from competing at the National Games.

As with overcoming his childhood disability, his success in
the ring was built on hard work. Come rain or shine, he trained
every day of the week, always prepared for what lay ahead.

"I really enjoyed the 10-year unbeaten period. I practiced in
the morning, went to work, practiced again in the afternoon and
studied at the Indonesian Academy of Secretarial and Management
Studies (ASMI) at night."

His two greatest triumphs occurred on home soil. In 1976, he
defeated Thomas Hearns, one of the leading American boxers of the
period, in the President's Cup.

A year later, he won the Asian title in Jakarta.

He takes pride in all he has achieved and the problems he has
overcome, living by the motto "fortune favors the bold".

"It was the greatest moment for me when I realized that here I
was, someone who was once disabled and often mocked by people
because of that, but could finally win most of my boxing bouts by
beating normal people."

After retiring from the sport in 1983, Syamsul worked as a
marketing manager for a leading shoe company. He also became a
trainer in a boxing camp but quit because, he said, he did not
like being a "subordinate".

Today, working as a TV commentator, newspaper columnist and
with a mango plantation back in his native North Sumatra, Syamsul
seems content in his independence.

Three of his four children have gone on to study at
university, while the youngest is in elementary school.

"I prefer to work as a boxing commentator because I am able to
freely criticize the Indonesian trainers, clubs and
organizations," Syamsul said.

None of his children has taken up a sports career, something
he is ambivalent about.

"I let my children take part in sports since they were young,
but not specifically in boxing," he said.

"I'm worried that my children would be burdened to have
achievements as high as mine if I did force them to box."