Being in the ring is better than being office-bound

Farhaaz Sayed says winning the SA title is a top priority for him after turning professional.

Farhaaz Sayed, 27, turned professional earlier this year after a successful amateur boxing career.

Super Sayed, or Phenom as he is commonly known in the ring, has an amateur record of 20 fights; 16 wins and four defeats, including winning the Cape Town Metro Boxing (CTMOBO) welterweight champion, Western Cape championship and losing in the SA championships quarter-finals.

Sayed, who trains at Brice’s Boxing Academy in Ottery under the watchfull eye of veteran mentor, Emil Brice, is the eldest of six children.

He turned professional in February this year with a second-round knockout win over Luyolo Kewuti at the Wynberg military base.

Last month, after a good start to his second fight, he lost focus, causing him to lose via a unanimous points decision against Monwabisi Boxing Club’s Simthembile Ngqele, from Kraaifontein, at the Battle of the Young Guns, in Hope Street, Cape Town.

The ambitious boxer, hoping for a rematch against Ngqele in February next year, said after his debut win against Kewuti earlier this year, he was motivated to keep on boxing as he believes he is a good boxer who was distracted on the night.

Before turning pro, Sayed was crowned the CTMOBO champion after a unanimous points decision win against Lunga Nkwentsha at the Malmesbury Prison. Super Sayed was crowned the Western Cape boxing champion at the Malmesbury Prison late last year.

“As an amateur, in a space of five months, I won the CTMOBO championship and the Western Cape championship. I went to the nationals and lost in the quarter-finals. This was big for me.

“I wasn’t always a fighter and to be honest I never thought I’d actually end up being a professional. I’d like to think that I’m ambitious, dedicated and the greatest thing I could point out is that I have a never give up attitude,” he said.

Sayed has been with his coach at Brice, for the past five years.

“I’ve been with Emil and the team now for five years. I actually joined Emil six years ago and left then came back a year later and stayed. Home is home and to be a champion you need to train with them.

“After the SA champs, I felt like I could do more. I’ve worked in an office and every day all I wanted was to be in the gym. I knew that if I didn’t feel like being in the office then I should make a brave choice about pursuing my dream which was and still is to become a professional South African champion,” he said.

Sayed said the key is to take each moment and each fight as it comes.

“I want to be a household name and fight among the champions. I have big dreams for myself but I’d say capturing the South African title is on top of that list,” he said.

Sayed said the most inspiring lessons from coach Brice is that he doesn’t say much but backs his fighters through thick and thin.

“He doesn’t say much, all I can do, I judge a man by his actions and what I can say is that he is for his fighters till the end.

“So if I should take anything from that it would be to be loyal to a trainer and you’ll grow together,” he said.

Sayed trains alongside other champions such as Lunga Sitemela, Abdul-Azziz Kunert, Christiano Ndombassy, Tony Mayala, Daniel Pontack and Jimmy Mabunji.

“We have a great team filled with the most humble champions who only want the best for each other.

“I can’t say who (my next opponent is) as to yet. I would like a rematch against the guy (Ngqele) who beat me. I know that I can knock him out, it was just his night. As for a date we are looking at some time in February,” he said.

“Boxing is everything to me. I need to make something of it with the hopes that the Almighty will grant me the ability to take care of my family,” he said.

Sayed said youngsters looking up to him and other boxers have to do something that makes them happy and they will live their best life.

“We are what we do. Whatever we do we become. If we just make money we become money and that this thing everyone chases this life, everyone craves, it’s just symbolic, it has no value.

“You have to do something you are happy about and I promise you, you will live the best life. Never forget to believe in yourself and your dreams and that a dream without action is just a dream,” he said.

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