India, May 27 -- When gold medallist Mohammad Yaseer stood on the podium at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships at Tashkent, it marked the arrival of a promising young Indian boxer on the international stage. But it was a success story shaped by personal loss, financial hardship and a coach who believed in him long before the results arrived.

The 58kg boxer from Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, defeated opponents from boxing powerhouses like Kazakhstan and hosts Uzbekistan, countries that have dominated the youth sport at world level. For Yaseer, the tournament was his first experience competing abroad and it initially felt overwhelming. "I used to watch videos of those boxers before," he said. "When I saw them there in person, I got nervous."...