When Galal Yafai won an Olympic gold medal for Team GB in 2021, there were only a handful of other Muslim boxers on the circuit.
Fast forward to 2025 and Yafai is attending England Boxing’s inaugural iftar – the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset to break their fast during Ramadan – alongside Great Britain’s Osama Mohamed and Nadrah Hafeez, a Muslim female coach.
The trio are hoping to use their position to educate the boxing world about the realities of training and competing during Ramadan, while also showing young Muslim athletes that their faith can co-exist with their ambitions.
“Ramadan wasn’t really spoken about before but in the past few years it has really caught up and it’s part of the conversation now,” Yafai, 32, said.
“It’s partly to do with representation and having Muslim athletes in this space.
“But there’s also been a lot more education. If you go up and down the country, in nearly every boxing gym there will be at least one Muslim kid who at this time of year will be fasting, so it’s important people are educated on it so they can support athletes.”
Galal Yafai won gold for Team GB at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and for professional athletes, this means they have to maximise the amount of nutrition they are getting outside these hours.
Muslims wake up before dawn to have a meal – suhoor – before the fasting begins, with athletes prioritising hydration and protein during this time.
It is also crucial that athletes get a good amount of sleep during Ramadan, an element that is often overlooked and one that has a huge impact on their performance.
“Elite athletes like Mohamed and Yafai are going to want to train so we talk about the different things they can eat and drink, like having food that is high in protein or taking electrolytes,” explained Hafeez.
“If you’re dehydrated, even by one or two per cent, that can massively affect your ability to perform. Sleep is the same, your body is repairing, and recovering, and your body is absorbing the nutrients so it’s really important.”
‘Being a Muslim woman in boxing isn’t a barrier’
Nadrah Hafeez, a Muslim female boxing coach, says her faith has never been a barrier to her success
For many years boxing legend Amir Khan flew the flag for British South Asians and Muslims.
He rose to fame during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where he won a silver medal in the lightweight division and became, at the age of 17, Britain’s youngest boxing Olympic medallist.
His legacy continues, with many South Asian boxers citing him as a source of inspiration.
Finding a female role model was much harder, but Hafeez didn’t let that stop her.
“A lot of people ask me about my gender and religion, but to be honest I’ve never found it to be a barrier,” Hafeez said.
“It’s partly to do with my upbringing – my mum was very strong in her views and has always championed coaches and boxers.
“I’ve always celebrated being different and pushed forward with it as something positive. There are so many elements that I represent, being Muslim, a British Pakistani, a female – it’s an asset.”
‘Not even water?’
GB boxer Osama Mohamed hopes to become an Olympic gold medallist
It’s a question that many Muslims are asked when they mention they are fasting and Hafeez, Yafai, and Mohamed see the humour in it.
“We hear it every year, it’s quite funny,” says Yafai.
“A lot of people tell me they can’t believe I’m doing it or they don’t know how I manage it.
“But Ramadan isn’t all about fasting. It’s about the connections we make to our faith and our families. By resisting food and water it teaches us discipline.
“That’s a skill we need in boxing and in life.
“For us, it’s a bit easier too because we’re used to making weight and not snacking so we use this time to dial back and focus on things that matter.”
‘I dream of becoming an Olympic champion’
Osama Mohamed, 21, says Galal Yafai is a huge inspiration to him
With plenty of Muslim talent on the circuit like Ramla Ali, Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim, Mohamed is not short of finding someone to look up to.
The 21-year-old from Halesowen, who boxes at 63.5kg, won a bronze medal at the 2022 European Youth Championships before reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championships in November that year.
He then got called up to Great Britain’s emerging talent programme, where he is trained by national team coaches, and the youngster has big plans.
“Ever since I started boxing, I’ve always had big aspirations,” Mohamed said.
“I dream of becoming an Olympic champion like Yafai. I’ve always aimed to be the best in anything I do, not just boxing.
“Having good role models around you who are from the same area, background, and religion makes it all seem possible.”
He is sat next to Yafai when he says this and who better to learn from than the man who did it himself? It’s a story of the master and the apprentice in the making.
