Getting to know Qais Ashfaq

Yorkshire boxer sets his sights on more medals 

Qais and Froch 

Qais Ashfaq is a name not many people have heard around the sporting world, but the youngster from Leeds is aiming high. Qais competes in the Bantamweight division and wants to win gold in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

After winning gold at the Tammer Tournament in Finland in 2012, Qais has set high goals for himself in future events. He said: “This year I hope to win the National Championships and then win the Commonwealth games. After that I want to do well in the European games and then win gold at the 2016 Olympics.”  The youngster also says that he will not turn professional until after the 2016 Olympics as he wants to represent his country first, “I would like to turn professional, but only after the Olympics, because if I turn professional before the Olympics I wouldn't be able to compete in them. So without a doubt after the games in Brazil.”

Qais began boxing when he was just eight years old when his Uncle took him to the gym and he has loved the sport ever since.  Not only has he won gold in Finland he also won the ABAE championship, which was recognised by the boxing coaches. Qais was soon promoted to the Great British boxing squad because of his success back in 2012, and he is very proud to represent his country. “Representing my country is something I never thought I’d ever do when I first started, but like I say I kept training hard kept getting better and better and got to the level.”

The Yorkshire born boxer is funded by the National Lottery who have seen great potential in the youngster. The National Lottery have released a video on YouTube about his road to Rio. Qais is happy that they are funding him as he thinks it will make him a better boxer. “It helps a lot because, well, everyone wants to be the best but on the way you need the money to help you through it and money is a motivator as well, especially for us because we are lottery funded. The better we do the more we win and the more money we get, so it’s always one thing that is on the back of my mind. Success comes first but obviously with the success comes money so it always helps a lot.”

Amateur boxing is a massive factor in the success of boxing, most boxers start off from the bottom and work their way up and Qais certainly did that. In Amateur boxing it is normally three, 3 minute rounds which doesn't really sound a lot but Qais disagrees he said: “It’s totally different to professionals because in a professional game you can do 3 rounds without even breaking a sweat because the pace is slower. But 3 minutes in amateur boxing is like a burst, it’s like a sprint. It's fast pace, you have to be switched on in your mind.”

Qais described himself as someone who didn't have much confidence and a quiet lad when he was younger, but he said boxing has changed him. “Confidence wise, it brought me up loads because, like I said, I was quiet when I was younger and wasn't confident at all, but with boxing the more you win the more confident you get and the more you see it in your own persona and the way you are.”

Qais will be fighting in the National Championships in Liverpool next month and will also be aiming to win the competition.  The future looks bright for the young man and we certainly haven’t seen the last of him.