Eye surgery delays Gurung’s pro debut

Minaaz Gurung…now looking to make his pro bow in September

MINAAZ Gurung has undergone eye surgery in a bid to become Britain’s first Nepalese pro boxer.

The Nuneaton light-welter now has a frustrating wait before the learning if the Boxing Board of Control will allow his dream to become a reality.

It is, the larger-than-life character stressed, a mere blip on the road. He’s confident recent laser surgery will have given him the clarity of vision needed to pass the Board’s medical.

“It’s a setback,” the 21-year-old told me today. “I didn’t even consider it a problem. I can see clearly for six metres and I thought that is what’s expected in the ring.

“This won’t stop my dream, I’ll do it 100 per cent. I have to go back to the eye specialist in two weeks for a check-up and, hopefully, that will be it.

“One hundred per cent I’ll get there. This is the dream I’ve had since I was a child. There’s nothing else I can do. Maybe I could coach, but I’d always regret not going pro.

“I was supposed to fight in June, but Jon (manager Jon Pegg) says he can put me on in September, then there’s a show in November. I could still fight three times this year.”

Minaaz is a fighter on a mission. He wants to show Britain’s Nepalese community the importance of sport. Minaaz said: “Nepalese parents don’t see progress in getting their kids into sport. They push them towards being lawyers, doctors, police…”

Grandad served in the Gurkhas, which gave his family the opportunity to move to the UK. Minaaz was around five at the time.

 “I believe in putting excitement in boxing,” he said. “That’s what I like about old-school boxers, the all-out aggression.”

Minaaz is a joy to interview – a young man with a lot to say.

He told me: “I went to do kick-boxing when I was eight. I didn’t really like it, I wanted to throw punches with my hands. Dad then took me to a gym near our home, a community gym. I stayed there for one or two years, they saw potential and sent me to an amateur boxing club.

“It’s been one hell of a journey. From the age of 11 to 14, it was fine, then I got distracted. The first few fights were good, I started losing fights and got distracted.

“At 18 or 19, I came to the realisation I couldn’t go on like that. I decided to dedicate myself to boxing.”

A product of Bedworth’s Boxing Clever Academy, Minaaz hung up his amateur vest after 11 wins in 20 bouts.

“I turned pro because my dad always believed in me, always pushed me,” he said. “I never wanted to let him down. I wanted to turn pro when I was 18, but wasn’t really ready for it. I wanted to make a statement, I wanted to be the first Nepalese fighter to win a title.

“I used to doubt myself so much, but not anymore. As an amateur, I could make people dance – you know, make their legs wobble, but I was never really a finisher. Now I’m a better fighter, I believe it’s all coming together.”

Outside the ring, Minaaz helps youngsters from troubled backgrounds and hopes his pro career will inspire them.

He’s certainly leaving no stone unturned in his bid for boxing success.

Minaaz added: “I don’t have a social life, I want to pursue my dream. I’m in the gym all the time.”