A growing number of older men are turning to boxing for the first time and taking part in competitive bouts with another new recruits
A grieving dad has become a boxer to help him cope with the tragedy of losing his wife to cancer.
Khurum Jabbar took up the sport competitively after his wife Shahzia, who passed away in July, was diagnosed with Melanoma last October. The 36-year-old mother has also left three young children aged two, five and seven.
Rookie Khurum who had never fought before is part of a new wave of pugilists – called white collar boxers – taking part in the sport for the first time despite their advancing years. He has already fought twice in the ring with more bouts to follow.
His most recent outing was last month in Glasgow’s River Palace banqueting hall where he drew with his opponent. The 34-year-old, who runs a takeaway business, says the step into the ring came with the full blessing of his late wife and he wants to continue boxing to celebrate her memory.
He took up the sport in November a short time after Shahzia’s cancer diagnosis. Khurum from Irvine, Ayrshire, says his wife was very supportive right to the end. He added:” She told me just to be careful and don’t get hurt. She was a very strong woman.”
White‑collar boxing has been described as one of the the fastest‑growing “contact sports” in the world. Beginners with no prior fight experience — typically office workers, executives, lawyers, bankers and businessmen — train for several weeks and then compete in a supervised bout. The three-round bouts are held under normal boxing rules.
Khurum’s first fight was in January which he won and also raised over £3000 for Cancer Research. He added: “Shahzia’s cancer was a rare, aggressive type and she was given no more than a year to live.
“We were desperate to find something that would keep her alive for longer and scoured the world for a possible cure. We tried immunotherapy, without success.
“Then we were given great hope when Shahzia was accepted for a trial of a new drug in a London hospital. Then, one day, out of the blue as she was preparing to go to London, they phoned and said they’d pulled the plug on the trial.”
Khurum added: “I started looking abroad and found a possible treatment in Turkey. I spoke to the hospital in Istanbul and they offered to examine her suitability.
“In April we went there for a biopsy. At the time we were told that the treatment won’t work for between eight and ten per cent of patients. We felt confident the odds were in her favour.
“Alas, Shahzia was in that small group who couldn’t benefit from the treatment. She was in that eight and ten percent. After that setback she lost heart and went downhill.”
Khurum admits that boxing is helping to ease the pain. He said: “In the gym I need to focus on the fight and there are always other people there to keep my spirits up.
“They’ve been like a family to me. Going into boxing has helped me. It has released a lot of emotions. It was the best thing I could have done to keep me focussed and not go down a bad road.”
The white collar boxing nights are arranged by brothers Shehbaz and Raz Parnez, through their Glasgow based RT Elite Promotions. Raz says the fights could even be a pathway to a professional career for someone like Khurum.
He added: “It gives people who have never boxed before the chance to test themselves in the ring in front of a large crowd. For Khurum it has kept his mind busy, occupied and in a better place It is a hard thing he is dealing with with as well as three young children to look after.”
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