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The Bahrain Boxing Club is preparing to take its first roster of athletes to the UK to gain valuable fight experience next month, as they chase their dream of representing Bahrain at the Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, the gym’s membership numbers continue to swell in the wake of the recent heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitchsko, with six new members fully signed up in the week following the fight alone and many more flocking to the centre’s location in Janabiya.
Boxing trainer Tariq Abdulrahman established the club as part of the LIFT Strength and Conditioning Centre to offer fitness enthusiasts different classes and resistance training as well as a chance to learn the ropes.
Now, he’s seeing interest booming and believes this is the most exciting time for the sport in the kingdom’s history. “It’s amazing how much excitement has been generated off the back of just one fight. We’ve had a lot of interest from all walks of life, from novices who have never strapped on a pair of gloves before to more experienced guys who want to get back into it.”
Abdulrahman boasts 15 years’ experience of boxing under his belt. He started his sparring sessions and sporting dreams from the garage of his home progressing to offering private classes to clients.
He’s a fully-qualified coach licensed through the British Boxing Board of Control, an honour he obtained after years of training and examination, and also a fully certified cornerman.
Now, he’s using his expertise to lead an entourage of four Bahraini fighters on a trip to the UK on June 28. The Bahrain Boxing Club is an official partner of the Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton Boxing Academy in Manchester, and the group will be stopping there for a few days of intense training before heading down to London.
There, they will fight for the first time at the West Ham Boxing Club, one of the most acclaimed in the country, after they became affiliated partners recently. Abdulrahman explained: “This is the first time that anything like this has happened in the kingdom, with a club going to Europe to fight.
“This is their first big step on the way to entering the West Asia Olympic qualifiers, with obviously the ultimate goal being able to walk onto the Olympic stage. We’re truly passionate about the sport here, and we’re the only gym in Bahrain that focuses energy and resources solely on developing boxing.”
