Ruqsana Begum

Ruqsana Begum (Bengali: রুকসানা বেগম; born 15 October 1983) is an English professional kickboxer and boxer. She was a British and World Kickboxing Association female Atomweight (48–50 kg) Muay Thai boxing champion and captain of the British Muay Thai Team. In March 2018, Begum made the switch from professional kickboxing to boxing.

Ruqsana Begum
Born (1983-10-15) 15 October 1983
Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, London, England
Native nameরুকসানা বেগম
Other namesWarrior Princess
NationalityBangladeshi, English
Height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Weight48 kg (106 lb)
DivisionAtomweight
StyleMuay Thai kickboxing (Now Boxing)
Fighting out ofBethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, London, England
TeamBritish Muay Thai Team
TrainerBill Judd
Years active2008–present
OccupationKickboxer, Now Boxer
UniversityUniversity of Westminster
Notable club(s)KO Gym
Websitewww.ruqsana-begum.com

Early life

Begum was born in Bethnal Green[1] and was brought up in Seven Kings, Ilford, London, England to a family of Bangladeshi origin.[2] She comes from a traditional, religious family and grew up in a strict Muslim household.[3]

Begum's paternal grandfather moved to the United Kingdom from Sylhet Division, Bangladesh, to fight for the British in the Second World War.[2] Her father, Awlad, worked as a tailor-cum-machinist in a factory making leather jackets for high street fashion stores[2] and her mother, Minara, was a housewife. The family lived in a council flat among the predominantly Bangladeshi community.[1] She is the second eldest of four children and lives at home with her family.[2]

Begum went to the local primary school and then to Swanlea School. She studied A-levels in art, history, Bengali, media studies.[1] After studying at UzSWLU in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 2006, Begum graduated with a degree in Architecture from the University of Westminster. She was a trainee architect and was made redundant after the company she worked for made cuts.[4] She is a part-qualified architect.[5][6]

As a child, Begum played football, badminton and swimming. Since the age of five or six she has been fascinated by martial arts[7][8] and was inspired by Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee.[3]

Professional kickboxing career

In 2002, at the age of 18, Begum took up a kickboxing class after college.[9] She initially did it as a hobby in secret due to concerns that her family may not approve.[10] She got herself a part-time job in a chemist, started university and would train every Sunday. In 2006, soon after she graduated from university, she told her family that she was practising Muay Thai,[11] after she had kept it a secret from her family for almost five years.[3] however, after they saw the gym and they didn't try to stop Begum. In 2008, she started fighting professionally.[2][4]

In 2009, Begum defeated a Malaysian opponent to win a bronze medal at the World Amateur Kickboxing Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.[4]

On 27 November 2010, in her first final, Begum defeated Paige Farrington to win the British Muay Thai Atomweight Kickboxing Championship Professional title from the Duel at the Dome contest in Doncaster.[4][6] Begum is the only Muslim woman who is a national champion in her sport.[12]

On 31 July 2011, Begum won a gold medal at the European Club Cup Amateur Muay Thai Championship in Latvia.[5] She beat a Finnish fighter to secure her place in the final and beat a Turkish fighter in the final to be awarded gold.[13]

On 6 September 2012, Begum was nominated as British Muay Thai Team Captain and won bronze at the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) World Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia. On 9 September 2012, she beat Ranini Cundasawmy from Mauritius in the quarter-final, before losing her semi-final match, on 11 September 2012, against the European champion, Chyslova Liudmila, from Belarus who proceeded to win silver.[6][14][15][16][17][18]

On 13 April 2013, Begum fought Silvia La Notte from Italy at the New Bingley Hall in Birmingham for the International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA) World Championship.[19] Although Begum was leading on points, during the fourth round the fight was abandoned after she took a knock to the head.[20]

On 14 March 2015, she contested the International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA) Women's straw-weight world title fight[21] against French national champion, Ludivine Lasnier, at the ILEC Conference Centre in Earls Court, London but lost the title on points.[20][22]

On 7 November 2015, she was due to contest the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) title against Josefine Lindgren Knutsson of Sweden in Hackney, London,[12] however, after Begum suffered from a virus the fight was postponed[23] until February 2016 and rescheduled for 23 April[24] against Susanna Salmijärvi[25] which she contested and won.[26]

Begum trains under Bill Judd,[5][27] and fights out of the KO Gym in Bethnal Green, London.[9] She trains six times a week[28] for two hours each day, and during the build-up to a fight she trains twice a day.[29] She also does yoga.[1]

She is signed up by RDX Equipment and her main sponsor is DCD Property Company.[30] In September 2016, Begum signed with Shakir Entertainment Management in New York City.

Professional boxing career
Ruqsana Begum
Statistics
Nickname(s)'Warrior Princess'
Weight(s)Super flyweight
Height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Born (1983-10-15) 15 October 1983
Bethnal Green, London, UK
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record[31]
Total fights2
Losses1
Draws1

In January 2018, Begum signed a three-year[32] a managerial contract with Joe Joyce's handler Sam Jones[33] and Adam Morallee who made her their first client since forming the management company S-Jam Boxing with plans to turn professional in boxing.[33] She also signed with former heavyweight champion David Haye's Hayemaker Promotions.[34]

In 17 March, Begum made her professional boxing debut under Queensberry Rules against Bulgaria's Ivanka Ivanova in York Hall Bethnal Green, London, which was screened on Channel 5,[35][36][37] as an undercard for the Matty Askin vs. Stephen Simmons fight.[38] Begum was scored evenly on the scorecards, 38-38, with the bout called a draw.[39][40]

Other work

On top of her own professional commitments, Begum is a personal trainer and instructor. She also works as an instructor one night a week[5] giving free after-school[2][4] Muay Thai classes every Monday at the Lions Den Gym in Chadwell Heath, London[41] for the children in the East End.[9] She also coaches ladies-only classes every Sunday.[10]

From 2006, she worked at an architectural firm in Epping Forest but lost the job because of the recession in 2008.[1] From 2009, she worked part-time, two days a week, as an unqualified science technician at Swanlea School in Whitechapel, London.[4][5]

She is a boxing and Muay Thai[11] coach for Fight for Peace, a charity which uses boxing as a prevention and rehabilitation model to confront the problem of child and youth participation in crime, gangs and gun violence within disadvantaged communities.[6][9][42][43] She is an ambassador for Sporting Equals, a charity who help people from ethnic minorities to access sport, whoever you are and at all levels.[44][45]

In 2015, Begum created a sports hijab for non-athletes for combat fighting sports and to help more Muslim women get into combat sports.[46][47] She was first inspired to create the product when she saw sprinter Ruqaya Al-Ghasra struggle to wear a headscarf at the 2006 Asian Games.[48] She thought up the idea during the London 2012 Olympics when she learnt of an American athlete who was told her Islamic headscarf did not meet health and safety requirements.[49] The hijab is a fitted, breathable version of the traditional scarf worn to conceal Muslim women's hair and chests.[48] It uses breathable fabrics and is designed to fit comfortably around the head.[49] In April 2016, she launched her own line of sports hijabs. Begum designed her own line and outsourced manufacturing to a factory in Pakistan, after trying unsuccessfully to line up a manufacturer in England.[50][51][52]

Media appearances

In June 2011, Begum was interviewed by Anwarul Hoque on BBC Asian Network.[53] In August 2014, she was interviewed by Sunny and Shay Grewal on BBC London 94.9.[54] In March 2015, she was interviewed by London Live.[22] In September of the same year, she was interviewed by Sky News.[12]

In April 2016, Begum starred in Selfridges advert Incredible Machines. In February 2017, she featured in a 30-second Adidas advert which tells the stories of 15 women athletes and builds on the brand's marketing around defying convention titled 'Unleash Your Creativity'.[55]

In April 2017, Begum was interviewed by Sportshour on BBC World Service.[7] In June, she was interviewed by BBC Three[56] for the "Like A Girl Can" campaign.[57]

In March 2018, David Leon was enlisted by Nowness to make a short documentary called Endurance Test: Ruqsana Begum about how Begum rose to the top of her field.[58]

Awards and recognition

In May 2012, Begum was shortlisted for the Muslim Women's Sport Foundation (MWSF) Ambassador Awards for the United Kingdom Sportswoman of the Year award held at Wembley Stadium.[59][60][61][62][63]

In January 2012, she was named in the British Bangladeshi Power 100 for her work in education, culture and sports.[64][65] In February 2012, she won a special achievement award at the Canary Wharf Sports Awards.[66][67]

In September 2013, Begum was awarded Sports Personality of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards.[68][69] In March 2017, she was awarded the UK Sport Inspirational Performance of the Year award at the Lycamobile British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards (BEDSAs) held at the London Hilton on Park Lane.[70][71][72]

In October 2016, Begum was named one of the "Young British Muslim Millennials Changing The World" by The Asian Today. [73]

Personal life

Begum suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).[25] Begum has had to adapt her training to accommodate her condition with a strict diet and training regime.[34][74]

In 2006, at the age of 22,[1] Begum's parents arranged her marriage to, Sayed Chowdhury, a banker from Barking. She moved in with her husband and his parents.[26] Her father-in-law was on dialysis and Begum had to juggle healthcare with household duties and her career as an unqualified architect.[26] Eight months later,[1] after collapsing one morning,[26] she spent two days in hospital and was later diagnosed as suffering from severe panic attacks. She moved back home to her parents’ house[1] and spent months in bed[26] recuperating[1] In 2008, her husband filed for divorce.[1] She has since moved into her own flat in Gants Hill, Ilford, but still spends half the week with her parents, who live nearby.[1]

In March 2012, Begum met Queen Elizabeth II at Walthamstow Town Hall, during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour of the UK.[75][76] She was selected to be an Olympic torchbearer in recognition of her sporting achievements and community work, helping young people to engage in sports and giving them a focus in life[9] in the East London community.[77] On 21 July 2012, she carried the Olympic Torch in Greenwich, London.[78][79]

In 2017, Begum went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.[1]

Championships and accomplishments
  • 2009 – World Amateur Kickboxing Championships [80]
  • 2010 – British Atomweight Muay Thai Champion[80]
  • 2011 – European Club Cup Amateur Muay Thai Championship [80]
  • 2012 – International Federation of Muaythai Amateur World Championships [80]
  • 2016 – World Kickboxing Association Champion

Professional boxing record
Professional record summary
2 fights 0 wins 1 loss
By decision 0 1
Draws 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
2 Loss 0-1-1 Ivanka Ivanova PTS 4 22 Jun 2019 York Hall, Bethnal Green, London
1 Draw 0-0-1 Ivanka Ivanova PTS 4 17 Mar 2018 York Hall, Bethnal Green, London Professional debut
gollark: Yes, tungsten and bismuth are cool metals, not those, and also what *is* your profile picture now.
gollark: They also do tons of artificial segmentation regarding overclocking and board compatibility and such.
gollark: Intel ran into process issues some time ago so their roadmap is !!FUN!!.
gollark: Not ideal but not a huge issue.
gollark: Mostly they're minor side channel data leaks.

See also

References
  1. Lennon, Patrick (14 September 2017). "The British female Thai-boxing champion - who kept her training secret from her strict Muslim family". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  2. Lennon, Patrick (25 March 2011). "Ruqsana Begum: Kicking And Dreaming". The Daily Star. Bangladesh. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  3. Simmonds, Kadeem (24 July 2015). "I am not someone who likes conflict, even though I fight". Morning Star. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  4. Munford, Colin (9 December 2010). "Ruqsana gets her kicks from sport". Iford: Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  5. Richards, Joshua (11 August 2011). "Euro Thai-boxing champion Ruqsana Begum suffering from lack of funding". Ilford: Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  6. Ahmed Ully, Ansar (19 September 2012). "Kick-boxer Ruqsana wins bronze". The Daily Star. London. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  7. "Ruqsana Begum - Defying sterotypes". BBC World Service. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  8. Pearson, Daniel (8 March 2018). "The Female Muslim Kickboxing Champion Who Was Designing Sport Hijabs Before Nike". Highsnobiety. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  9. Buara, Elham Asaad (29 June 2012). "In conversation with…Ruqsana Begum". The Muslim News. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  10. Flaig, Maximilian (19 February 2013). "Interview with kickboxing champ Ruqsana Begum". India Weekly. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  11. "Ruqsana Begum". Support through Sport UK. 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  12. Kelso, Paul (6 September 2015). "Video: Meet The Athlete Defying Stereotypes". Sky News. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  13. "Ruqsana and Ash bring back medals at European Championships". KO Muay Thai. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  14. Richards, Joshua (13 September 2012). "Brilliant Begum bags bronze medal". Ilford: Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  15. Richards, Joshua (13 September 2012). "Brilliant Begum bags bronze medal". Hampstead and Highgate: Ham & High. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  16. Richards, Joshua (13 September 2012). "Brilliant Begum bags bronze medal". London: London24. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  17. "More GB Success at the Muaythai World Championships". Women Sport Report. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  18. "More GB Success at the Muaythai World Championships". Women Sport Report. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  19. Munford, Colin (29 March 2013). "Kickboxer Ruqsana is hoping it's home sweet home for world title shot". Ilford: Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  20. Congregalli, Matteo (12 September 2013). "Ruqsana Begum's Fight to be a Muslim-Bangladeshi Thai Boxing Champion". Broadly. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  21. "KTMMA 3". Ring Events. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  22. "'It's hard for Muslim girls to get into combat sports'". London Live. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  23. "Kickboxer Ruqsana Begum fights for world title on Saturday". Sky Sports News. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  24. Trehan, Dev (14 February 2016). "World title contender Ruqsana Begum fighting for coach and community". Sky Sports News. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  25. Trehan, Dev (21 April 2016). "Kickboxer Ruqsana Begum thinks world title win can be a game-changer". Sky Sports News. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  26. Broadbent, Rick (2 December 2017). "Muslim fighter with ME who left an arranged marriage to win world title". The Times. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  27. Razzaq, Mahvish (4 September 2012). "Muay Thai Champion Ruqsana Begum is going for gold". Asiana TV. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  28. Frue, Kiesha (10 June 2015). "Exclusive Interview with Ruqsana Begum". Instant e–Care. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  29. Kemble, Harry (11 June 2015). "Seven Kings boxer turns hijab-designer to get Muslim women active". Iford: Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  30. Hutchison, Finlay (19 December 2014). "End it like Begum: a British Asian woman's quest for the muay thai world title". SportsPro. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  31. "Boxing record for Ruqsana Begum". BoxRec.
  32. Hewlett, Joe (15 March 2017). "Exclusive: Adam Morallee talks S-Jam signing Ruqsana Begum as debut looms". World Boxing News. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  33. Jay, Phil (16 January 2018). "Exclusive: Kickboxing and Muay Thai champion Ruqsana Begum set for run in pro ranks". World Boxing News. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  34. Sheikh, Rahil (17 March 2017). "First female British Muslim kickboxing champion inspires a new generation". BBC News. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  35. Kidd, Dave (15 March 2018). "British kickboxing champion's inspirational story takes another twist". news.com.au. Australia. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  36. "Begum Ready for Debut After Overcoming Many Obstacles". The New York Times. New York. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  37. "Ruqsana Begum ready for boxing debut after overcoming many obstacles". Geo.tv. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  38. "Haye on Channel 5: Askin v Simmons / Joyce v Palmer double set for March 17". World Boxing News. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  39. Lawless, Matt (17 March 2018). "Joe Joyce KOs Donnie Palmer in 35 seconds as Olympic silver medalist targets Dereck Chisora showdown". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  40. "Askin devastates Simmons in two / Haye frustrated at Begum delay and draw / Camacho scores TKO". World Boxing News. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  41. Richards, Joshua (3 February 2012). "Ilford's British Muay-Thai boxing champion set for 02 Arena bout". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  42. Rahman, Emdad (21 July 2012). "Sparring with the Atomweight". London: East London News. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  43. Walter, Glen (10 October 2012). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Ruqsana Begum – British Muay Thai Champion". FitMeNow. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  44. "British Muay Thai Boxing champion Ruqsana Begum positive on change". Sky Sports News. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  45. Farooq, Aisha (6 June 2015). "Top Asian Women in Sport". DESIblitz. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  46. "East End boxing champion launches sports hijab". The Independent. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  47. Bishop, Rachel (2 March 2015). "British Muay Thai champion has eyes set on world domination". The Wharf. London. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  48. Alwakeel, Ramzy (16 June 2015). "Thai boxing champion designs 'sports hijab' to encourage Muslim schoolgirls to get active". London Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  49. Kemble, Harry (11 June 2015). "Seven Kings boxer turns hijab-designer to get Muslim women active". Iford: Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  50. Smith, Aaron (9 April 2016). "Muslim muay Thai fighter launches her own line of sports hijabs". CNNMoney. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  51. Smith, Aaron (9 April 2016). "Muslim muay Thai fighter launches her own line of sports hijabs". Local SYR. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  52. Rodulfo, Kristina (15 April 2016). "This Badass Kickboxing Champion Is Launching a Line of Sports Hijabs". Elle. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  53. "Kickboxer Ruqsana Begum". BBC Asian Network. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  54. "Kickboxer Ruqsana Begum". BBC London 94.9. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  55. Connelly, Tony (2 February 2017). "Adidas tells the stories of female athletes' struggles with 'Unleash Your Creativity' campaign". The Drum. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  56. "Fight Like A Girl: Ruqsana Begum hid her trophies from her family for five years". BBC News. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  57. Lawrence, Hannah (24 June 2017). "The British female Thai-boxing champion - who kept her training secret from her strict Muslim family". Metro. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  58. Davey, Jacob (8 March 2018). "Watch Female British-Bangladeshi Kickboxing Champion Ruqsana Begum in Action". Versus. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  59. "Shortlist". Muslim Women's Sport Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  60. "(UK) MWSF announce Ambassador Awards shortlist". Kick It Out. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  61. "Muslim Women's awards". The FA. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  62. Patel, Holly (11 April 2012). "Awards: First Ambassador Awards night for Muslim women". Sport Sister. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  63. "Shorlist Announced". The Asian World. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  64. Sam-Daliri, Nadia (26 January 2012). "East End Bangladeshis reach 'Power 100' list". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  65. "British Atomweight Muay-Thai boxing champion – Ruqsana Begum". British Bangladeshi Power 100. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  66. "O'Brien gives back". West Ham United. 18 February 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  67. Hayes, Simon (3 February 2012). "Table tennis star Ashley wins Canary Wharf award". London: Wharf. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  68. "Asian Achievers Award 2013". Asian Achievers Award 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  69. Pandit, Vishal (16 September 2013). "The Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Highlights". DESIblitz. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  70. Hinds, Rodney (23 March 2017). "British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards honoured Sir Mo". Voice Online. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  71. Trehan, Dev (19 March 2017). "Sir Mo Farah and Kadeena Cox honoured at BEDSAs". Sky Sports News. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  72. Trehan, Dev (7 March 2017). "Katie Taylor now has platform to demonstrate what she stands for, says Ruqsana Begum". Sky Sports News. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  73. Ramchurn, Sheena (11 October 2016). "GENERATION M: Young British Muslims Millenials Changing the World". The Asian Today. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  74. "Breaking stereotypes: The Bangladeshi-Brit world kickboxing champion". Dhaka Tribune. Dhaka. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  75. "Diamond Jubilee: Queen visits three London boroughs". BBC News. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  76. Bullen, Annie (2012). The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year: A Royal Souvenir. The History Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-1841654096.
  77. "Ruqsana Begum". London 20120. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  78. "Olympic Torch Relay through Royal Greenwich". Royal Borough of Greenwich. 2012. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  79. "Torch Relay through Royal Greenwich". Royal Borough of Greenwich. 2012. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  80. "Ruqsana Begum Awakening Profile". Awakeningfighters.com. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.