College remembers its star performer

Too many dreams were riding on his young shoulders. And Pramod Sav, 21, a student of the Guru Nanak College, saw boxing as the only way to get his family out of his house in a slum on Antop Hill.

A classmate recalled Sav as “a helping friend”, who had set his eyes on an Olympic medal after boxer Vijender Singh’s win. “His father was very keen to see his son topping the sport. After all, he was his eldest son.”

A college player said Sav encouraged him “like an older brother”.
College principal Dr Bina Punjabi said he even performed well in academics and that the college was still coming to terms with his sudden death.

Sav’s commerce professor Paul Raj told DNA, “He was a star performer. He had won many championships in the last two years. Since the college doesn’t have a boxing coach, the management arranged a special coach from outside for him. We are all proud of him. He was equally good at studies and always made a point to attend classes.”

Science lecturer Santosh Pathare echoed Raj. “We have lost one of our brightest players.”

His special coach, Singh, was not reachable. College sports head Joshi Saviour expressed his shock at the turn of events after Tuesday’s boxing bout. He was present with Sav’s family at the Bombay Hospital, where he died. He reportedly stayed away from the college after Sav’s death and had even switched off his phone.Sav’s family has gone to UP for some rituals.