Newland’s hope
James Degale’s former amateur coach has another potential Olympic medallist in the rising Mughalzai
STEVE NEWLAND may be about to produce another Olympian. Newland was a coach at Dale Youth when James Degale went to Beijing in 2008 and came back with gold. He has since set up Powerday Hooks ABC and Patris Mughalzai is one of his success stories.
The 21-year-old southpaw is targeting Olympic qualification at 63.5kgs after winning gold at the World Boxing Cup: GB Open in January secured his place in the Great Britain team, ahead of Huey Malone and Joe Tyers.
Mughalzai beat both unanimously at the English Institute of Sport and regards his win over Tyers in the final as “my breakthrough.” He said: “For years Joe was the No 1 at GB. That was a big fight for me. I had to go out there and prove myself.”
Nobody was more pleased to see Mughalzai succeed than Newland.
“I was eight or nine when I first went to Steve,” said Mughalzai, who lives in Hayes. “I’ve been with him ever since. He has always had belief in me and put time into me. I have always been rangy and always had that movement. Steve worked on my feet, getting me to go in and out.
“I made my debut at 11 and won my first 18. I knew after that I had the potential to get to the top and knew I had to stay disciplined and train hard.”
Mughalzai says his introduction to boxing was a painful one.
Born in Russia to a Russian mother and Afghan father, Mughalzai says the family “left to get more opportunities and better education.
“We moved when I was three or four and went to Leicester. The first time I went to the gym they made me spar and I got beaten up. I thought: ‘This sport is for me’ and when I moved to London I started taking it more seriously.”
Mughalzai has had frustrations since, including the cancellation of both the European Youth and World Youth Championships through covid.
“It didn’t work out,” he said, “but we are here now.”
Where he is now is a on the brink of what he calls “a life-changing opportunity.”
“We are in this game to be the best and to be an Olympian is to be one of the best,” said Mughalzai, who has won 71 of 78 contests.