Small Hall Spotlight: Meet Jordan Flynn-Dhanjal, one of Britain's few active Sikh pro fighters
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Jordan Flynn-Dhanjal (right) has won all four bouts since turning professional in December 2019
"This is more than boxing. It's about honouring my heritage."
Meet Jordan Flynn-Dhanjal - one of Britain's few active Sikh professional fighters.
Since the lifting of the infamous 'colour bar', which prevented non-white boxers from challenging for the British title until 1948, UK professional boxing has grown into a diverse sport.
In 74 years, many of the country's greatest champions have been of Afro-Caribbean background, while Naseem Hamed, Amir Khan and 'Kid Galahad' (Abdul-Bari Awad) have flown the flag for the Muslim community with world title successes.
Jewish representation has also been strong, with a multitude of names from both distant and recent past, such as Jack 'Kid' Berg, Ted Lewis and Scotland's Gary Jacobs.
Despite boxing's appeal across ethnic and religious divides, however, some sections of society have remained oddly estranged from the sport.
Oxford's red-hot lightweight prospect, Flynn-Dhanjal, is keen to address this.
"I'm proud to be a Sikh and come from a proud Sikh tradition," the unbeaten 26-year-old explains. "I was born here, but my background is a big part of who I am.
"The origins of my family were in India, of course, but my ancestors were taken to Africa by the British to work on the railways, as many Indians were back then.
"When [former president] Idi Amin evicted all the Asians from Uganda in 1972, my grandparents moved here with their son, who later became my dad.
"As a child, I used to spend weekends with my grandparents, who were very devout and talked a lot about our history.
"They would take me to the gurdwara [temple] in Southall, where we served the langar [free meals] to the community.
"What a lot of British people don't realise is that Sikhism has a strong warrior tradition. To Sikhs, the word 'khalsa' means to be free, to be liberated and it's all about self-defence, fighting against cruelty or persecution.
"One of the duties of khalsa is to practise combat and a lot of Sikhs carry a 'kirpan', a kind of sword, to represent that. So Sikhism and boxing go together pretty well."
'I believe I will be the first Sikh world champion'
Flynn-Dhanjal (left) has sparred with the likes of welterweight contender Conor Benn
Growing up in Oxford, with his Sikh father and English mother, the young Flynn-Dhanjal showed hyperactive tendencies.
As a result, his dad first took him to karate lessons when he was six years old. He took to the sport well and progressed quickly, but it was clear that he preferred punching to kicking.
"Even as a kid, I had very fast hands," Flynn-Dhanjal says. "So I guess boxing made sense and we made the switch. I first started boxing training when I was eight at Berinsfield Amateur Boxing Club and never looked back."
Aged 12, Flynn-Dhanjal won the schoolboys' national title. Having outgrown his local scene, he moved to the famous Repton ABC in London, making the journey from his home in Oxford four days a week to spar with future world champions Charlie and Sunny Edwards and Lawrence Okolie.
Flynn-Dhanjal went on to represent England in international competitions and won two further national amateur titles.
"I just loved the feeling of winning and getting better," he says. "I love the progression too, the feeling of working towards something. I've always looked at this as a long-term thing."
A move into the professional ranks followed in 2019, under the guidance of former British and Commonwealth lightweight champion Kevin Mitchell - widely regarded as one of the most talented UK fighters not to win a world title.
"Training with Kevin is fantastic," adds Flynn-Dhanjal. "We're based at the Matchroom gym in Essex and he works me really hard, but we combine into a great partnership.
"With all his experience, there's so much he can teach me, so I'm soaking up as much of it as I can. I've got great sparring with guys like Conor Benn and Joe Cordina, which is important as we spur each other on."
As such, it has been a smooth transition into the pro ranks, barring some minor diet adaptations.
"I still love Indian food," he laughs. "My grandmother's the best cook in the world [in my opinion], but now that I'm training full-time, I have to be careful.
"There's too much oil and salt in curry dishes when you're trying to make lightweight (9 stone or 57kg), so that's my post-fight treat now."
Flynn-Dhanjal has racked up four professional wins, with his fast hands attracting large crowds.
A fifth contest is scheduled for Saturday, 30 April at Bracknell Leisure Centre, against the Romanian Constantin Radoi, in which he hopes to extend his stellar start.
The only frustration, so far, lies in the defensive approach of the opponents he has faced.
"Obviously, at the beginning of your career you're boxing journeymen, who come in, tuck up tight and stay on the back foot," he says.
"They're such tough guys, but because of the way they box I haven't been able to show my power yet.
"It's nice to get the wins and I'm growing and developing every time, but I look forward to boxing opponents who'll come to have a proper fight - so I can really show what I can do.
"I trust my ability and I'm aiming for the top. That's what drives me on. I'd like to pick up some domestic belts first, but I believe I will be the first Sikh world champion.
"My grandad passed away two years ago and that would be such a fitting way to honour his legacy."
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- Published16 October 2022
