Woking schoolboy Ayub Mumin’s boxing career is officially under way.
Having celebrated his tenth birthday in December, Mumin qualified to hold an England Boxing licence, meaning he could become an amateur fighter.
And now Mumin – who as a five-year-old was tipped for glory by former world champion Dillian Whyte – has received his licence and taken part in his first official bout.
His father Abdul told the News & Mail: “In England, the earliest a child can compete or have a fight with England Boxing is ten years old.
“Ayub turned ten last December and after this he got his England Boxing licence so he could officially start his amateur career.
“It’s very tough to find him an opponent as he is only 25kg and boxing is a weight-governed sport.
“Very few boys are at that low weight.
“Ayub’s boxing club, Sporting Ring Amigos in Camberley, found a boy who was 26kg for him to have a bout with.
“Ayub had to eat a lot of extra food to put on an extra kilo to make the weight.
“But he did make the weight and on February 3 he had his first official boxing bout, against Freddie Straw from The Panthers Gym in Chichester, West Sussex.
“The location was Leigh Park ABC in Havant, Hampshire.
“It was a skills bout, so there was no winner or runner-up, and everyone who was at the show said he did really well.
“Ayub’s coach Vinnie Lamport said that if it was a real fight he would’ve won every round.
“Ayub entertained the crowd with his hands-down flashy style, similar to the style of former world champion Naseem Hamed.
“He landed some great shots on his opponent and overall it was a cracking fight.
“He even did a front flip at the end to celebrate his first fight.
“The crowd really took a liking to him and a lot of parents came to him after to talk to him and get a few pictures of him.
“Right at the end, Ayub and Freddie got a picture together and they shared some sweets. This is the beauty of boxing, where two people can be fighting each other in the ring and moments later become good friends.
“Ayub throughly enjoyed his experience and is really looking foward to his next fight which will be as soon as his club can find him a match.
“Until then, he’ll continue to train as hard as he can so he can be fully ready when an opponent is found.
“Hopefully this is the beginning of an exciting and successful career for Ayub.”
Last year, the youngtser took part in an international exhibition bout in Spain.