Farooq ‘getting back on his feet’ after retirement

Kash Farooq hopes to “get myself on my feet again” almost a year on from his enforced retirement.

Farooq held the British title at his weight from 2018 to 2019 and has moved into coaching youngsters.

“I’m trying to put my skills into a community space. I’m teaching kids by night time, boxing and personal training,” he told BBC Scotland.

“You have to go looking, no-one’s going to come knocking at my door.

“I’m training the amateurs – I would never have done that in a million years. My plan was to retire from boxing, just walk away. It’s too much hard work, you’re there all the time. You’ve got to be there no matter what. But if you’re going to do something, do it properly.

“I want to get myself on my feet again, getting into something I can do long term.”

Born in Pakistan, Farooq relocated to London then Glasgow in the early 2000s.

He won 16 of his 17 professional fights and admits stopping competing has left “a big hole”.

“The thing you’ve been chasing all your life, it suddenly just stops,” he explained. “There’s nothing you’re looking forward to. You’ve sacrificed your whole childhood.

“I thought it was going to come at an older age. Maybe my early 30s. I was just about to kick off my career. Time came knocking at my door.

“What do I do now? I’ve not even got a skill or any type of education to fall back on. That was the difficult part.”