An Oldham teenager is preparing for a Muay Thai competition after completing two GCSEs a year early.
The tournament will be held on 12 September in Sheffield under Legacy Promotions.
Mohammed Ishaq, 15, has been training for the tournament by doing intense sprints and jogs alongside sparring and strength building. He trains for about three hours six days a week.
“I’ve been training hard, so I expect to win. I have won some inter-club tournaments,” Ishaq said. “I have been doing Thai boxing from the age of seven, and I also memorised the entire Quran which took me about six years to complete.
“For me, fighting isn’t hard, I just enjoy doing it as it makes me happy. I have learnt to stay disciplined and to not look down on people,” he added.
He completed GCSEs in English Literature and Religious Education a year early, and he hopes to get grade sevens in next year’s exams. He wants to go to college and university.
Ishaq’s coach, Taz, has been in the sport for over 30 years. He initially trained in the UK then went to Thailand and fought there. He has won a number of competitions. The last time he competed was in 2015 for a British title fight.
After retiring, he decided to go into teaching Muay Thai. His gym, Team Taz, is located in the heart of Glodwick. He has around 80 students including children and adults. He even has a 55-year-old student, and he welcomes people of all ability levels.
“We’re making a significant change in the community. In the past, there was speculation that Glodwick was a ‘no-go zone’ for white people. We have shown that this is not true as we welcome all ethnic backgrounds to come and train with us.
“We have students from a range of ethnicities, including people from Romania and Portugal.”
At Team Taz, there is a Commonwealth title holder and a British title holder. Students go to Thailand frequently where they gain experience in fighting.
Proud uncle Mohammed Rahim said: “There’s a lot of pressure on Ishaq, but I would give all the credit to Taz and to Ismaeel who is Ishaq’s older brother. They’re the ones that have been making sure that he has been training well.
“I remember when he was about seven years old at the Green Hill pitch where they put him in goals and all the lads were playing outside, so he was getting bored and started kicking the goal posts.
“Not only has he done Muay Thai, but he has also done Brazilian Ju Jitsu and has won medals.”
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