Khan determined to continue in build-up to ring return
After last weekend’s scheduled fight was forced to be cancelled at the eleventh hour, local boxer Tasif Khan vows to come back stronger after failing to find a replacement opponent.
It was to be a long-awaited ring return for the super-bantamweight competitor who had been out of action for more than two years since injuring his hand back in 2012.
And, after what he described as a ‘lifetime’ on the sidelines, Khan was finally prepared to put the gloves back on for the first time on Sunday in front of a host of expectant fans in Leeds’ Control Nightclub.
Yet just one day before the fight was due to take place, the bout was put into question after Khan’s opponent was forced to pull out because of injury.
Despite searching for an alternative boxer, Khan’s team were unable to acquire a replacement and so the match-up was cancelled.
Now, after coming within touching distance of his competitive return, Khan says he is more determined than ever to push on with his training and come back even stronger.
“The fight was called off due to no fault of my own which made it quite hard to take,” he said.
“I want to apologise to all the fans that came down to see me fight. We really did try our hardest to find a new opponent but there just wasn’t enough time.
“I am now targeting a fight in mid-January some time but until then I will just keep training hard.”
When he is not in the gym, Khan is in the classroom as he works as a part-time teacher at Bradford’s Atlas Primary School.
It is a profession which has helped Khan ‘break up his day’ and one he says he really enjoys, yet he remains certain that his boxing career is far from over.
“I’m feeling strong now and my recovery has been a long one but it is finally over,” he added.
“Everything is going to plan with my training and diet, and I really want to push on now and get back to where I was before the injury.
“It is my aim to bring the titles back to Bradford and Leeds so I just want to thank all my fans and sponsors, Kingsland Business Recovery and Janan, for continuing to stay behind me.”
The 31-year-old has a record of seven wins and just the one loss in his injury-hit career, and is now hoping to press on and add more victories to his own tally in January.
