A BRADFORD boxer has won a Yorkshire Boxing Junior Championship.

Muhammad Amar Farooq, who goes to Beckfoot Thornton School, was victorious in the 60kg weight division.

The 14-year-old trains out of the Purge Boxing Academy in Batley and is now looking to repeat that success in the National Championships.

Farooq fights in the quarter-final of the competition in Blackburn on March 8.

Muhammad’s father, Amjad, tells the story of how boxing helped his son and was keen to praise his achievements inside the ring.

Amjad said: “When he was at his first school he got bullied and I had a friend who was into boxing so we took him to the gym.

“Six weeks later, he asked me to come down and said he has got a real talent.

“It has also built his confidence which is great.

“He beat a Sheffield lad in the final who was a real brawler so he had to use his good footwork and boxing skills to gain the unanimous decision.

“My son is down to earth, he didn’t tell anyone at school (about his Yorkshire Championship win) so I had to ring in and tell them.”

Muhammad met former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder when the American visited his mother’s Prity’s salon in Bradford last year.

Amjad says his son looks up to Wilder and hopes one day he can reach the lofty heights of boxing on the same stage as the ‘Bronze Bomber’.

Amjad said: “He (Wilder) visited our salon and he was a really nice guy.

“It was great for Muhammad to meet someone who he looks up to as a role model.

“He (Muhammad) is so dedicated, he eats the right food and sleeps the right amount of hours each day.

“He is determined to reach the top and I think he will if he continues to focus.”