One of the best kickboxers in Pakistan, Inam-ul-Haq, led a team of fighters to the World Martial Arts Summit in late December 2016. He debuted as an international competition, and his team won five gold medals as a New Year gift for the country.
Ladder of Success
Though Inam-ul-Haq managed to bear the cost of his training, every athlete as not lucky. Many aspiring athletes give up their passion due to lack of support, resources, or coaching facilities.
Only they can provide better gyms and training facilities to groom the raw talent in youth in his country. Inam does what he can to provide kickboxing training to aspiring athletes. He offers personalized kickboxing classes to help girls and boys achieve their fitness goals.
Customized training programs target the unique challenges and physical level of the trainees. He helps them increase their strength and endurance to boost their fitness levels and fighting skills.
Giving Back
Inam is an avid advocate of women’s participation in combat sports. He has high regard for the female athletes who succeed in kickboxing despite all the challenges.
He felt the lack of official support the most after his workshop on self-defense in Women of the World Festival, Karachi #WOWKHI. Plenty of women, teenage girls, and even their mothers took part in the training and made it a success.
The British Council, Pakistan arranged #WOWKHI, but no other organized such events again due to lack of government interest. “Experience at WOWKHI was tremendous, but no such event or offer came after that, which is disappointing for the scope of the sport.” Said Iman.
Kickboxing - a Life Long Passion
For Inam, kickboxing isn't only a sport but a lifestyle. He has passionately owned it since the beginning of his career. “For the proper fight, you need to focus your mind on the goal. Follow the proper training, diet plan, take required rest, and follow the proper path to become a fighter.” He said.
For the last 18 years, Inam follows a strict, active lifestyle. It includes a healthy combination of training and a balanced diet plan.
To him, it’s the only right way to keep an athlete in an active physical and emotional state. “For fitness, you need to focus on the diet and training; no junk or unhealthy food. Organic food rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and essential fats provide the strength and stamina for the comprehensive training required for kickboxing and MMA.” Iman recalls.
He further adds: “Fighting training is entirely different from fitness training and a balanced diet provides you the power and stamina required for professional fighting training.” Dynamic lifestyle, strict diet, and concentrated training brought significant changes in Inam. He feels more confident, energetic, and focused.
“Through simple changes in diet and lifestyle, I have achieved more stable energy levels, concentration, and focus during training and fights; it let me perform at my maximum potential.” He stated proudly.
He also notes a high degree of emotional and mental maturity in himself, compared to his non-athletic peers. He advises fellow fighters and trainees: “Do training, aggressive training, but use it in the ring. Do not waste your energy on the streets as you may end up harming others or yourself. In my entire career, I have never involved in any brawl.”
Fighting Arts Future is Bright in Pakistan
Though the sport is in its early stages in Pakistan, up-and-coming talent is abundant in kickboxing and MMA. Patience, focus, determination, and hard work are the core principles Inam preaches to the aspiring kickboxers and MMA athletes.
“Focus on the regular and proper training of the sport; there should be no shortcut. Unlike boxing, it usually takes 1.5 to 2 years to become a good kickboxer.” Iman concludes.
Currently, Inam-ul-Haq is training for upcoming global Kickboxing, MMA, and Boxing events. His success has set a remarkable example for ambitious athletes — Any dream is achievable, only if you have the courage and willpower to pursue it.
