WBC international silver champion Hamzah Sheeraz, prospects Masood Abdulah and Umar Khan and diabetic fighter Muhammad Ali sit down with Lord Aleem and BBC Sport as part of South Asian Heritage Month.
From tea wars to representing their community, the boxers talk all things fighting, family and food.
Does boxing give you freedom to express your religion compared to other sports and platforms?
Khan: “I would definitely say religion helps me with the sport. It gives me a sense of power.”
Abdulah: “For me, it just keeps me on the right path. It gives me a standpoint on how to approach life, how to be, how to conduct myself as a human being. To have compassion and how to treat people. So for me, it gives me my morals.”
What is Ramadan like for you as a boxer?
Ali: “I can’t fast. I wouldn’t put my health at risk [as a diabetic]. Islam teaches you your health comes first, you’ve got to look after yourself. I wouldn’t put myself at risk. I don’t fast, but the religious side, praying, I’m second to none.”
Who are some of your south Asian role models today?
Khan: “When I was young, Hamzah was a big role model for me. I think my dad as well, he’s quite a powerful figure in my life.”
Ali: “Being the youngest Olympic medallist, one of the youngest world champions – Amir Khan’s been amazing. Not only for south Asians, to all cultures, be it English or American. All boxers, you’ve got to look at Amir as an icon. The guy is a special, special man.”
Is there something that can be done to make this sport more open?
Abdulah: “I come from a predominately white area. There are not a lot of Asian boxers from that region. When I entered the club, there was no-one I could really bond with or get on board with. You felt like an outsider. I was trying to prove myself and I had to get through a lot of obstacles just to get people to look at me. I think it depends on certain areas.”
What do you want your sporting legacy to be?
Ali: “We’re proving a point that goals are achievable. Seek the right help, get the right people around you. I am going to prove one day that, as someone suffering from Type 1 diabetes, I can become a champion. I am going to inspire, motivate many people. Not only in England, not only from the south Asian culture.”
Abdulah: “We don’t drink, we don’t smoke, we don’t do anything. We’ve already got a little stepping stone for us. We’re a little bit ahead of the market. It’s easier for us to do this than the average person going to uni, living their bachelor lifestyle. For us, it’s tailor-made.”
Sheeraz: “I think you’ve got to split it in two, between legacy inside the ring and outside the ring. Inside the ring, just like Umar said, you want to become a world champion, you want to become a multiple weight champion, almost like a Canelo Alvarez or Anthony Joshua type. And if you didn’t want that in boxing, I think you’d be in the wrong sport. But if we’re talking outside of boxing, it’s inspiring the youth, showing people that whatever you do in life – even if it’s not boxing, whatever path you choose in life – if you stay dedicated, doing your thing, stay focused, you’ll win regardless.”
How much does it mean to you to inspire the next generation?
Abdulah: “I think more than that, it’s giving the next generation hope. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you’re giving them something to aspire to.”
Why did you pick boxing?
Khan: “I went one day, the football season was finished and I literally fell in love with it. Looking at the money, I wish I had continued playing football. Something special about boxing is that it’s one of the only sports where there’s a place for Asians.”
How supportive has your family been in your journey as a boxer?
Abdulah: “None of my family ever supported me until I started winning national titles. The wanted me to go back to work. Why did I quit my job? I was on my way to buying my first house. It was only until my dad got phone calls saying, ‘You do know your son is on BBC iPlayer – he just won the national title’. Now I’m getting their support. Before it was very different.”
What does it mean to represent your community?
Abdulah: “For me, it means a hell of a lot. Being one of the first Afghans to box and do something with boxing, it means the world to me.”
Sheeraz: “It means a lot. Especially representing them in a very positive light. Being one of the frontrunners, especially in boxing, as a south Asian is a massive thing. Hopefully I can continue to carry on and inspire.”
Why is it important to shed light on south Asian heritage month?
Ali: “Show what we’re doing with ourselves, show some positivity. We’re doing something right. Hamzah, current champion. Myself, with an underlying health condition, boxing on. Umar, boxing out of Spain. Masood, from Afghanistan. It’s a message to the kids back home. When I went to the boxing gym just before Amir [Khan] went to the Olympics [in 2004], I felt scared being the only Pakistani in the gym. I felt left out… not left out, but intimidated. When Amir went to the Olympics and won silver, I went back to the gym and there were hundreds of us in the gym.”
Sheeraz: “It’s called South Asian Heritage Month for a reason. It gives us an opportunity to show how we embrace it and that we’re proud of it.”
