Dubai: After two years' hard graft as a labourer at the Al Quoz industrial estate, Al Hassan Okine can now ditch his blue coveralls for a shot at the World Kickboxing Federation's welterweight world title.
The 36-year-old Ghanaian's contract as a panel stretcher expired in March but his trainer, Zack Taumafai, at KO gym in Dubai Marina, said he had managed to bring Okine back into the UAE on the gym's visa as a fulltime instructor.
The boxer will begin work this week.
Turning professional means the current UAE national and tag team kickboxing champion who has fought six and won four as an amateur, can now wave goodbye to six-day working weeks and 12-hour shifts.
Now Okine said he would be able to focus wholeheartedly on his world title attempt against Steve Grandeza of Davao, Philippines on October 1 in Dubai. Negotiations are also under way for an attempt on the International Sport Kickboxing Association welterweight world title against multi-title-holding Tim Drury of Sydney, Australia. Details of this fight are yet to be confirmed.
Life has changed
"I'm delighted and can't tell you how much my life has changed," said Okine, who goes by the name "The Ghanaian Van Damme".
"Now I mean business. I have the time and energy to spend on kickboxing, which is my life.
"I'm 100 per cent confident of preparing well and getting the belt."
From Dh1,200 a month, half of which he sent home to Accra, Okine now earns Dh2,500 and has switched from the confines of labour accommodation he shared with four other workers to a plush marina-side apartment with a pool.
If successful in October he could bag upwards of Dh10,000 in prize money.
"All credit to Hassan," said his trainer Taumafai. "He stuck it out as a labourer and trusted my word when I promised that I'd transfer him onto my visa as soon as I could set up my own gym."
Taumafai, the former Ghanaian national kickboxing coach had initially helped place 10 of his fighters into alternative employment when he first arrived into the UAE in 2008, but now only Okine remains.
The other nine have gone back to Ghana.
Determination
"He had the maturity, determination and discipline to hold onto his dream," Taumafai said.
"It just goes to show good things come to those who wait."
Okine only has one more year and five fights left in him before retirement, his trainer said.
But if he can capture a world title within this time Taumafai said he hoped it would give his apprentice enough credibility to return to Ghana and open his own gym under Taumafai's KO Promotions franchise.
