From rivals to partners: Ex-national boxers Hamzah Farouk and Muhamad Ridhwan combine to lift sport
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Muhamad Ridhwan (left) and Hamzah Farouk teamed up to organise the Test of Champions event at the Foochow Building on Aug 17.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HAMZAH FAROUK
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SINGAPORE – They battled each other as amateurs 15 years ago, and competed in the same weight class as national boxers. Now retired, Hamzah Farouk and Muhamad Ridhwan have joined forces in the hopes of taking the sport forward in Singapore.
On Aug 17, Hamzah’s Brother Boxing Promotions partnered Ridhwan, who is also the current national coach, and his company Leyendas Promotions, to organise the Test of Champions, their second such event.
The tournament, at the Foochow Building in Jalan Besar, featured nine professional bouts and also served as the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games qualifiers for amateur boxers, through the Syed Kadir Boxing Championship.
Hamzah and Ridhwan told The Sunday Times that they decided to team up as they shared a similar vision.
“Our goals are the same,” said three-time SEA Games bronze medallist Ridhwan, who has been a national coach since June 2022. “We look out for the interest of the boxers.
“(Hamzah’s) goal is to bring up the boxing scene, look for local (pro) fighters, local providers and build them up slowly.
“It matches what I have always been doing in the amateur scene.”
Hamzah added that as former fighters, he and Ridhwan experienced first-hand the difficulties local boxers face in trying to progress in the sport.
The 36-year-old said: “When we reached out to each other, we felt we could create a good platform (for local boxers) through our combined experiences.”
While the pair were competitors in the past, Ridhwan said theirs was a “healthy rivalry”.
Hamzah added: “I’ve known Ridhwan for very long, we did sparring sessions together and I have a lot of respect for him and what he’s doing on the boxing scene.”
They held their first event as co-promoters in May, and the high turnout convinced them to continue hosting such competitions.
Promoter Hamzah Farouk has known national coach Muhamad Ridhwan since their days as professional boxers.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
While Ridhwan’s company takes care of each event’s organisation and logistics, Hamzah’s role is to facilitate the bouts.
Hamzah revealed that their biggest obstacle was obtaining financial support. He said hosting such an event can cost up to $50,000 each time, and that it is a challenge finding sponsors willing to invest in boxing.
But the duo are undaunted, and Ridhwan, also 36, said that “at least four or five” more events are in the works.
“It’s going to be a very busy year for professional boxing in Singapore,” he said.
He also noted that, while some boxers have been shortlisted to compete at the SEA Games, the Singapore National Olympic Council requires these fighters to beat a medallist from the previous edition before being considered for the Bangkok Games.
Arvind Lalwani, vice-chairman of the newly minted Singapore Boxing Commission, hailed the duo’s collaboration.
“They had their first event in May and did a very good job,” said Lalwani, founder of the Singapore Fighting Championship series of fight sport events.
“They’re doing it the right way and supporting the fighters, so they’re on the right path, and the future’s very bright.”
On Aug 17, Singaporean Thariq Aziz won his debut fight against Indonesia’s Johan Sigalingging by unanimous decision in the 60kg catchweight, while compatriot Amanda Chan knocked out Thailand’s Pattarawan Thaosuwan in the lightweight division during the Test of Champions.
The Republic’s Danial Jalil, meanwhile, knocked out Thailand’s Woraweth Nawanetiwong in the third round of their super featherweight bout.
