Via Hornchurch and Murcia, Sanjeev Singh Sahota is fighting to become our next British Asian boxing star

EXCLUSIVE
Vaishali Bhardwaj7 October 2016

Sell-out crowds over the past year, most notably at the O2, show that British success in the ring is cooking up interest outside it.

Twenty thousand people witnessed Anthony Joshua claim the IBF world heavyweight title back in April, with millions more seeing it unfold live on TV.

The sport appears to be in good shape then but, like so many others, British boxing does not fully represent the diversity of the country.

We have struggled to produce a British Asian fighter to rival the profile of Amir Khan, who first announced his arrival on the scene with a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.

That could, however, all be about to change.

Sanjeev Singh Sahota is one of the newest British Asian boxers to enter the professional scene, and the 25-year-old from Hornchurch is hopeful of achieving great things.

Working under the watchful eye of promoter Frank Warren, who also oversaw Khan's early career, Sahota - whose parents originate from India - has enjoyed a rapid rise since turning professional a year ago, winning all three of his fights since his debut at the Copper Box in April and now preparing to take on Fonz Alexander in Harrow on October 8.

Despite being based in Spain for the last 12 years, the super lightweight's Asian heritage will always see him compared with Khan, and while Sahota has been influenced by the Olympian, Khan is but one from a handful of boxers who have inspired him.

Success: Amir Khan was also managed by Frank Warren earlier in his career
Getty Images

"Amir Khan too as he did so much for the Asian side of boxing," he told Standard Sport. "Ricky Hatton - [he was a] British fighter, home champion and he achieved so much… Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao because of the background he came from. He proved, for me, that dreams can come true and Muhammad Ali - what a great fighter he was."

Boxing has certainly formed a big part of Sahota's life ever since his family decided to leave London for the south of Spain in a bid to ease his father's arthritis problems.

Before the move, Sahota admitted his heritage and the fact he was, as he says, "quite a tubby boy" left him feeling different in London. But when faced with the daunting prospect of then having to make new friends and continue his education in Spain without speaking the language, a 13-year-old Sahota was left feeling more isolated than ever before.

That was, however, until he saw an episode of the popular TV series The Contender and was introduced to the world of boxing. After tagging along with a friend to a local gym, Sahota quickly realised the ring was where he felt most comfortable.

Hear the full story of Sahota’s rise by watching the video above…

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