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Every athlete has an expiry date,” national boxing champion Rasheed Mehrinfar said.
The fear and uncertainty people experienced over the course of the pandemic was greatly amplified among athletes, as many of them were forced to halt their careers due to Covid-19 restrictions, either enforced by the government or themselves to protect their health.
“There is nothing like being in that environment and undergoing training, both for the physical aspect of pushing yourself and the mental aspect of giving yourself that sense of purpose,” the 24-year-old said, referring to gym closures that stopped him from training with his national team-mates over the last one and a half years.
However, he is the not the kind to give up.
Post-pandemic struggles, he believes, were not his toughest opponents – both inside and outside the ring. In an exclusive interview, the boxer shared his journey towards becoming a winner.
Mehrinfar is a three-time champion, having won all his competitions on national soil, battling fighters from across the GCC. He credits his victories to extensive hours of training and boxing in Bahrain as well as conditioning camps in China and the UK.
Having won his most recent fight in 2019 at the Bahrain National Stadium’s volleyball court against a formidable opponent from across the causeway by a second round stoppage, the 81kg fighter with a 74inch reach was determined to do more. But the pandemic dealt a blow and he has been unable to compete since then.
According to his coaches, Mehrinfar’s biggest strength is his footwork. For a boxer of his height, fighting out of southpaw, spectators are often in awe of how light the 184cm athlete is on his feet. Winning fights in 81kg and 91kg weight divisions, Covid-19 took away two of his prime years and the Jari-Al-Shaikh native only wishes he had more time to compete.
Picture this: Mehrinfar standing on a podium with the Bahraini national flag, (his ‘alam’, which translates to flag in Arabic) embracing him. The national anthem rings in celebration of his triumph. This is the ‘vision’ that constantly pushes him to chase his dreams in a notoriously demanding sport.
“When I close my eyes I have these dreams, I don’t even like using the term dream, because I see it so vividly,” he said. “It’s a vision!”
This vision was one that the boxer inherited from Bahrain Boxing Club Coach, Tariq Abdulrahman, to whom he credits his success.
After returning from the US in 2017 to continue his University studies as a London School of Economics (LSE) programme student at BIBF, the champion felt a sense of failure. An article published in a magazine was the catalyst that pushed the ex-high school football player to get up and try boxing. He joined the LIFT Strength and Conditioning Centre, where he now trains and teaches as well.
It was what he needed after facing mental health struggles alone and far from home.
Like many of us, he had a timeline he believed he needed to adhere to in order to be successful. But Covid-19 disrupted his journey.
“Competition isn’t for everyone,” Mehrinfar said. Living on such a small island, comparison and competition seem to be subconscious practises within our social circles day to day.
It was short-term goals and commitment that drove Mehrinfar to stay in shape mentally and physically during gym closures.
“Even if my exercise was just me going out and doing push-ups, I would make sure I had that written down. I would hold myself accountable,” he said. However, not all of the fighter’s goals were easy to adhere to.
Mental strength and health relies heavily on conviction.
“What helped me on my journey was the belief that there was someone watching over me,” said the fighter emotionally. “One of my biggest inspirations is Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, because he is a man of religion.”
Be it anxiety, depression or any mental struggle one faces, there is no shame in fighting for your health when making major life decisions. To compete at international levels one requires stellar physical and mental health, and with a winning streak, Mehrinfar has proven that it is truly worth taking care of them both.
Due to the strenuous nature of the International Olympic Qualification system, Mehrinfar hopes to gain more experience in his sport before vying for the 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifiers. He hopes to put his best foot forward. His mother, however, will not be watching. “She hates seeing me get hit,” said the champion with an endearing smile.
