Ramnagar: As India commemorates Kargil Vijay Diwas every year on July 26, one of the most inspiring stories of courage and resilience comes from Subedar Major Nawab Wasim ur Rehman of Uttarakhand — a soldier who fought for 20 minutes after being hit by seven bullets during the 1999 Kargil War, and who today is shaping the lives of young footballers.
Wasim, hailing from Ramnagar in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district, was posted with the Garhwal Rifles when the war broke out. He was shot six times in the right leg and once in the left while battling enemy forces near Tiger Hill — yet he continued to fight alongside his battalion, refusing to retreat.
“That morning was anything but ordinary,” Nawab Wasim recalled. “As we advanced near Tiger Hill, enemy bullets rained down. Captain Sumit Rai was martyred in the first attack. Retreat wasn’t an option — the nation’s honour was at stake.”
Originally from Lansdowne in Pauri Garhwal, Wasim joined the Garhwal Rifles in 1990. After a stint in Kupwara (J&K), he was en route to Joshimath when orders came directing him straight to Kargil’s high-altitude battlefield — at 4,700 metres above sea level.
“The enemy had the higher ground. Mortars and bullets poured down as we climbed all night. I was hit, but I didn’t realise the extent of my injuries. I just kept firing. It was only when I tried to stand and couldn’t that I understood I had been shot,” he told IANS.
Wasim was later airlifted and treated by Major General Chopra, who performed the surgery that saved his legs. After a lengthy recovery, he stood tall once again — both physically and as a symbol of perseverance.
Retiring in 2019 after nearly two decades of service, Wasim didn’t hang up his boots. He found a new mission — saving the nation’s youth from drugs and despair.
Now living in Ramnagar, Nawab Wasim trains over 150 children from local and nearby villages — entirely free of cost — in football. Driven by the alarming rise in drug use among teens, he turned to sports as a tool to build discipline, purpose, and patriotism.
“Watching young kids fall into drugs is heartbreaking,” he said. “We took bullets for this country. Now I fight for its future. Sports can teach values and save lives. That’s my new battle.”
Thanks to his efforts, several of his trainees have already played at the national level. His training ground has become more than a football field — it’s a sanctuary for youth and a hub for transformation.
“All we ask is that the country remembers us,” he added. “Let future generations know the price that was paid for the freedom they enjoy.”
Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates India’s hard-fought victory in the 1999 Kargil War. The conflict began in May when Pakistani troops, disguised as militants, occupied key high-altitude positions in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir. In response, the Indian Army launched Operation Vijay, a grueling mission under extreme weather and terrain to reclaim the occupied territory.
With inputs from IANS