By James Bovington
Brothers Aran and Rawa came to Leeds just a year ago and are certain the welcome they’ve received at Mike Tobin’s Armley boxing and Thai boxing gym is helping them integrate into the local community.
“The gym is a welcoming place,” said Aran, 21. “Mike and Phil the coaches have made us feel like members of a family. Leeds is a friendly place, and we’re determined to settle and contribute to the city.”
The boys started to box in Iraqi Kurdistan in their early teens.
“Where we were wasn’t a happy place and we needed to defend ourselves,” added Aran. “Then we both fell in love with the sport. It creates respect when you share the ring with an opponent. In the fight you’ll do anything to win but we’ve both found that afterwards you become friends.”
“To be honest training with Mike stops me going crazy,” said younger brother Rawa, 19.
“The training and the fights help empty your mind of bad memories and negative emotions. Everyone should have one match in a combat sport, and most will fall in love with it like we have.”
“I’m impressed with both boys,” said coach Mike Tobin, who opened his Armley gym almost 30 years ago.
“They have an incredibly strong bond and worry about each other. They’re amongst the most committed to their training and this has helped them find their feet here so that they’ve now got regular jobs and are contributing to the community.
“Everyone is welcome here at Tobin’s gym irrespective of their background. Both boys are as well integrated as you can be in such a short time and sell fight tickets both within the Leeds Kurdish community and to lots of long-time locals too. It makes all the effort worthwhile.”
Aran added: “We’ll always be proud of our Kurdish roots but for both of us our goal is to represent England which is now our home.
“We have friends from many different countries. It’s our common humanity that’s most important and although this might surprise many people participation in combat sports helps you realise just how much we have in common.”
Aran is undefeated in his four boxing and two Thai boxing bouts and Rawa has won two of his four boxing contests.
Older brother Aran next fights on the Leeds Hitman show on 15 November and his younger sibling Rawa has a bout on a Thai boxing show in Barnard Castle on 29 November.
- For further information or to obtain fight tickets contact Mike Tobin by text on 07970 615425 or via Instagram @tobinsgymltd.
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Heartwarming story of two young men who have come to this country to make better lives for themselves, and make a positive contribution to the community. Some of the indigenous population could learn lessons from this, rather than wasting time daubing silly red crosses all over the place.