By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart
Olympic boxing in Paris 2024, has suffered from having a spotlight thrust upon it. The actions of an Italian female boxer who was punched in the nose by an Algerian female boxer started a circus. Before it even got there, however, boxing was on probation. People wanted to throw the whole corrupt mess out – and little wonder. A report on the actions of AIBA and the IBA – both the same organization, just a different name and set of initials – had proven themselves to be corrupt.
But the Olympics was a standard to which all boxers aspired in the amateurs. It was the pinnacle. Added to the focus that the world’s media had on the events unfolding in the sport’s premium event, British boxing fell spectacularly short. In Britain we watched almost all of our much lauded and, we were told, likely medal prospects fall at the first-round time after time.
It was a sobering moment. A country who had managed medals after medals at London in 2012, Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020 (1) looked as though they were going to leave the Olympics with every boxer losing every fight. In the end one got a bronze. The fact is that it simply does not taint the boxers who went. It merely shows just exactly how difficult it is to medal at an Olympics.
Whilst we can feel disappointed as a nation and supporters of our sport that Britain failed to get anything shinier than a bronze, we need to remember that for all boxers getting to the Olympics is a long hard struggle. It is that struggle most of us simply do not see. And when they get there, sometimes they get the right result but sometimes, like Michael Conlan or Delicious Orie, they simply don’t.
One such fighter who went to Rio in 2016 with high hopes pinned upon his chest was Qais Ashfaq 13-3, 5 KOs. A southpaw, Ashfaq had won silver for Great Britain at the European Championships at bantamweight in Samokov in 2015, bronze in the European Games in Baku in the same year, silver in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2016 representing England – beaten by Michael Conlan representing Northern Ireland – and gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011 on the Isle of Man. In 2012 and 2014 he had been the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) champion at featherweight.
In 2016, the stage was set for his Olympic debut, and it is fair to say that people expected him to do well. The pedigree certainly suggested so. He also suggested so in an interview with Sport Mole, where he was described as “a well-spoken, confident and articulate young man” who spoke well as he reflected on his chances with the publication, “without a doubt [gold is my aim]. I have always felt, and I know in my own heart, that I can beat anyone on the right day, as long as I perform to my ability. Gold is my aim, without a doubt.” His confidence was high even given the fact that his old foe and the man who beat him in the Commonwealth Games, Conlan, was everyone’s favorite for the gold medal. Ashfaq lost to him in the Commonwealth Games and then Conlan had subsequently beaten Ashfaq, though had done so narrowly. “He has had some trouble with me in our two fights. The first fight at the Commonwealth Games, I will admit he beat me fair and square, but the second time a lot of people thought that I had won the fight and that just shows how much I have improved. We are another year on and hopefully this time I will get the decision.”
He was part of an elite squad with many future world champions and titlists including Galal Yafai (light-flyweight), Joe Cordina (lightweight), Pat McCormack (light-welterweight), Josh Kelly (welterweight), Anthony Fowler (middleweight), Joshua Buatsi (light-heavyweight), Lawrence Okolie (heavyweight), Joe Joyce (super-heavyweight), Nicola Adams (flyweight) and Savannah Marshall (middleweight).
Unfortunately, once in Rio and in the ring, it was simply not to be. In the very first round he was beaten 3-0 by Thailand’s Chatchai-decha Butdee, remarking in interviews that, “I’m a firm believer that what’s meant to be, is meant to be and I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I didn’t feel myself in there. I guess it’s been a long wait for me to box and I’m not used to that, but I can’t use that as an excuse.”
In July 2017, Ashfaq turned professional. He is still, as I write this, active. And like his amateur career it has not all been plain sailing for him over the last 7 years. Originally, having been an Olympian, hopes were high, and he began training under Ismael Salas sharing a gym with Joe Joyce, David Haye and Jorge Linares. By the 1st of February 2018 he had moved to Matchroom and was being trained by Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis. It was under them he made his professional debut against journeyman and tough fighter Brett Fidoe in Manchester on the 25th of February 2018. Ashfaq made a flawless start.
In his first two years as a pro, he was undefeated in eight contests. That included taking on and beating fellow Commonwealth Games participant Joe Ham from Scotland. Ham, at the time, was only carrying one defeat on his record. After an accidental clash of heads in the sixth, the fight was stopped in the seventh with the scorecards giving the fight to Ashfaq. Two of the judges gave Ashfaq every round.
But defeat was around the corner and on the 17th of October 2020, in Peterborough Ashfaq came up against Marc Leach. Losing on the cards was a bit of a warning as Leach was a clear step up for Ashfaq and he now needed to be careful.
He did rebuild with four straight wins, but his first fight for a title – the British featherweight title – on the 15th of July 2023, he lost on a split decision to Liam Dillon in Newcastle. It was quickly followed by another loss, in February of this year – 2024 – at the Copper Box in London when unbeaten Masood Abdullah managed to stop him in the fifth round after Ashfaq’s corner threw in the towel. The fight began with Abdullah bullying Ashfaq and it looked as though Ashfaq would not last much longer before a third-round right hook brought Ashfaq right back into it. In the fourth Ashfaq slumped to the canvass before, in the fifth, his team had seen enough and called a halt. Abdullah was landing cleaner and cleaner shots and Ashfaq could not respond. And so, the Commonwealth silver title which was being defended by Abdullah stayed with him.
Ashfaq made the decision to keep going and in June was in Oldham beating Jayro Fernando Duran in a six-round shutout on the 8th of June. Right now, we await his next fight and next moves in the profession with great excitement. The fact is that Ashfaq remains a really good boxer with great skill. Unlike the headliners, lots of the adversity faced by Ashfaq shall be done in private, much like all the hours of training he has dedicated to being in the sport. The story is one worth following and sniping from the sidelines can be left to those who know little about what it takes to be intellectually never mind athletically dedicated.
Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
