A YOUNG boxer from Bradford is targeting a national title and turning professional over the next few months, after retaining the prestigious Hull Box Cup. Mohammed Amar Farooq, a 17-year-old from Clayton, retained the title he won in 2019 on Sunday, with the Box Cup widely regarded as the second most prestigious honour for young boxers after a national title.
Delighted teenager Farooq said: “It is good to retain it. It’s been a while, coming back after three years of lockdown, so to be defending then keeping the title felt good. “It is a big tournament, with people coming from all over the UK and Ireland, especially for it, so it’s a really big thing to win it.”
“You want to be there to observe them and see how they move, things like that.
“For myself, there was one really tough fight, and that was the final (against a Welsh opponent), which was harder than my semi-final.
“In the final, my opponent was a real brawler, who kept holding me because he knew he couldn’t beat me at range.
“I had to use all my skills, but I stuck to my plan and won.”
Farooq has big plans over the next year, saying: “I’ve got the chance for a national title coming up (at the England National Boxing Amateur Championships).
“I’ve got to win the Yorkshire title first, but that’s something I’ve already done twice before.
“If I can win the Yorkshire one, I’ll have national quarter-finals, semis and a final to win.
“After that, I want to try and turn professional, as you can do that once you’re 18.
“He’ll put on private boxing sessions for me and always make time for me.”I’m currently fighting at 63.5 kilograms, which is light-welterweight.”
Beckfoot Thornton School pupil Farooq has plenty of people to thank for his progress too, especially over the last two or three years.
He said: “Covid wasn’t just hard for me, it affected the whole amateur boxing system.
“But I dealt with the finances okay and kept up with my training.
“My dad (Amjad Farooq) helped me with that, and I just kept ticking over, which meant I came back fit when boxing returned.
“I’ve only been at Purge Boxing Academy in Batley and with (owner) Mohammed Amin Patel for a short while, but he’s done things for me that other coaches couldn’t.
“He’s done an amazing job and I think he’s got the most Yorkshire champions in history.
“He has coached national champions, Box Cup winners, and has had lots of Yorkshire representatives.”
