Nikhil Dubey produced one of the most inspiring and emotional moments of the National Games that concluded in Surat on Wednesday. The Maharashtra boxer won gold in the men's middleweight category, but stood on top of the podium, devoid of any joy.
He looked skywards and thanked his coach and mentor, Dhananjay Tiwari, with folded hands. Tiwari wasn't among the spectators at the Mahatma Mandir Complex's boxing arena in Gandhinagar to cheer and watch his ward secure the biggest medal of his nascent boxing career. The coach died tragically in a highway accident while riding his bike from Mumbai to Gujarat to watch his ward in action.
