After three years out of the ring as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, professional boxer Farhaaz Sayed is ready to hit the boxing stage with a bang this year.
Originally from Rylands Estate, the 30-year-old Sayed is in a training camp with Olympic Games experienced coach, Ruben Pineiro Sanchez, in Australia.
Sayed’s promotional organisation, Phenomenal Boxing, in partnership with World Legends Championships boxing association, are preparing the Braggings Rights fight night, at the Camps Bay High School, on May 1.
Dubbed as an event to make his return to the professional boxing scene, Sayed will look to make it four wins and one loss when he faces off against a promising boxer, Keenan Buckley, over six rounds.
Sayed said the exhibition fight will, at the end of the night, be an entertaining match ‘filled with blows’.
“It’s been a tough journey. It feels good to train towards a fight. My opponent is a good fighter, he pushes in the rounds. He’s got the heart. He doesn’t have the skill or the footwork. So we are training for a good six rounds of war coming out of a three year layout,” said Sayed.
The exhibition event will also see the return of 57-year-old former national professional light heavyweight champion, Jim Murray, and 52-year-old former champion and world title contender, Hein Van Bosch.
Pride Fighting Academy’s Aneesha Maymen will take on Fearless Boxing Club’s Anzel Kellerman, from Brackenfell, in the women’s main bout.
Sayed said Bragging Rights is more than just a night of fighting, they are raising funds for the Saint Francis Children’s Home in Zwartdam.
Assistant at the St Francis orphanage, Fatima Leby said she is overwhelmed that there are still good samaritans post the pandemic who think about the destitute children.
“He (Sayed) was the one that thought of the children, especially the ones with anger issues, and put them into boxing. Instead of smashing windows or smashing each other, they could direct that energy onto a punching bag.
“Sometimes we get donor fatigue so it’s quite overwhelming to get donors that think about the children,” said Leby.
Sayed said it’s their contribution to their community.
“In order for me to become a professional boxer, the journey started there. I used to teach boxing there. St Francis Orphanage opened up the door for myself and many other young kids,” he said.
During the course of the year, Sayed said his team are preparing to introduce a youth development programme in Athlone and surrounding communities.
“We want to do a youth development programme in Gatesville. We are surrounded by areas such as Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Langa. Children need something to keep them busy when they are not at school,” he said.
The junior welterweight boxer, Sayed, hopes to bag another two fights in the country this year before shifting his focus to an international bout.
“Train hard, fight harder. A lot of people are paying money to come and see these fights so we have to give them a good fight. So we fight to put boxing back in community development,” said Sayed.
