By Norhidayyu Zainal
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- Some dreams require a person to leave behind what they already have in pursuit of something uncertain.
For Aiman Abu Bakar, 34, leaving football, moving to the Philippines and spending years away from his family were sacrifices he was willing to make to pursue a childhood dream of becoming a world champion in professional boxing.
The former Negeri Sembilan President’s Cup footballer made the bold decision to move to the Philippines in 2014, when he stepped away from football to devote himself fully to the sport he had always been passionate about.
The limited opportunities to develop a career in Malaysia’s professional boxing scene at the time also prompted him to challenge himself in a country with a strong boxing tradition.
“I wanted to challenge myself, live among them, train with them and understand how they think and what motivates them in boxing. Although life in the Philippines revolved largely around the gym and training, the environment there made me feel as though I was at home,” he told Bernama when met here recently.
The sacrifice began to pay off as a string of victories opened the door for him to meet renowned American boxing matchmaker Sean Gibbons. The encounter took Aiman to a bigger stage when he was given the opportunity to compete on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse bout at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil here in 2018. It was also his first appearance in Malaysia after four years living abroad.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted competitions and international travel, forcing Aiman to rebuild his career momentum after he returned to active competition in 2022.
Since then, he has stepped up his preparations by undergoing 12-week training camps, covering strength and fitness training and boxing techniques, ahead of each bout, as well as closely managing his diet and weight under the guidance of a nutritionist.
“During that period, I train six days a week, with two sessions a day. My morning routine usually comprises strength and conditioning exercises such as weightlifting, cycling or running, before returning to the gym for about three hours of boxing training.
“Sometimes you have no mood to train, your body is aching or it is raining, but you still have to do it. For me, discipline and a strong mindset keep me going to the gym to train,” said Aiman, who counts Manny Pacquiao, Roberto Durán, Julio César Chávez and Terence Crawford among his boxing idols.
Aiman, who is also the younger brother of singer-songwriter Ariff AB, said the biggest challenges he faces are financial constraints and limited support, as well as loneliness, which is the price he has to pay to build his career far from his family.
His passion for boxing, however, has kept him going and the perseverance has paid off.
Aiman, who competes in the super featherweight division, now boasts a professional record of 13 wins, two losses and one draw. He won the WBC Asia Silver Super Featherweight title in August 2024 before capturing the WBC Asia Super Featherweight title in April this year.
Currently ranked 36th in the world, Aiman – after more than a decade of building his career in professional boxing – remains determined to pursue a world title, while recognising that reaching that level will require an experienced team and strong sponsorship support.
“Being a Malaysian and fighting abroad gives me the motivation to do whatever I can for my country and carry the Malaysian flag every time I fight,” he said, while also hoping that more platforms would be created to give emerging talents opportunities to build careers in professional boxing.
-- BERNAMA