Azmat Yaqub Tribute
I first met Azmat about 5 years ago when the U.S.K.A kickboxing club moved to it's new premises at Chic Physique health and fitness centre in Sparkhill. Azmat was the first of the weight trainers from Chic Physique who made the transition over into my kickboxing classes. What an impact this was to have, not only for the kickboxing gym but also for me in my personal life. On the very first session Azmat and I got involved in a toe to toe boxing slugfest that was the start of a mutual respect we would carry for each other from then on.
He was hooked on the high intensity training and was comfortable around the placid mild manner of the kickboxers at the gym. Azmat would fully commit himself to the training over the next three years and bring to the sessions his very own motivational techniques to encourage each and every person that he trained along side with.
He soon after decided that he wanted to put his new found skills into practice in the prize ring and start competing in full contact kickboxing bouts. Azmat's presence in the full contact ring was awesome. With a Tyson like left hook and power right leg round kick any one that was hit with those techniques would stay hit and knew it was an experience that they could do without experiencing again. He captured the Midland area pro-am title at light heavyweight with a devastating knockout over an opponent from Wolverhampton and built up a reputation as being a fearful puncher.
The highlight of his fighting career came when he went toe to toe in a bout with later to be crowned world champion Paul Taylor in a fight that is still talked about today. Azmat unfortunately lost the bout but performed excellently against his far more experienced counterpart gaining huge respect from the kickboxing fraternity.
Putting a hold on his ring career Azmat continued to train and coach at the academy still bringing out the best in people pushing to them to their limits in his circuit training work outs.
Outside of gym life i found myself drawn to his addictive personality. Azmat a very eloquent and intelligent man had an unshakeable faith in Islam, a religion that through Azmat i decided to look into in more depth before finally embracing about three years ago. Azmat along with others were always there for me, guiding and steering me to all the information i needed to take my life changing leap of faith.
It was not only my faith that he helped me find. Azmat took me under his wing and looked after me as if i were his younger brother. Anything I needed, any situation he was there. My car had problems......he was there to fix it. I needed to get somewhere......he was there to bring me. I had a dilemma......he was there with the right advice. If i were to ever find myself on a battle field i would feel no more comfort than to know this man was standing shoulder to shoulder by my side. I knew i had a friend who unquestionably would put me before himself and ask nothing in return.
Azmat opened up to me more than he did most. Most people would only see one side of him. The side of the man in control, the hard man, the strong man, the man who put in any situation would assess it and take control of it in an instant. I was privileged to see the other side Azmat, a caring, loving, compassionate, generous, intellectual, God fearing side that made him one of the most endearing influences on me of my life thus far.
He became my third Brother. One of my nearest and dearest friends and confidant. I thank God for allowing me to be this mans friend all being it for just a short time. I thank God that i was privileged to be the last one give him Salaam. I thank God i was the last one to embrace him with a hug minutes before he died. I thank Azmat that he chose me out of all the people he could have chosen to share a part of his life.
I will miss you my brother and friend. A part of me is gone never to return. As i write this i am still coming to terms with what I and everyone who knows you have lost. I promise i will never forget you and what you have done for me. I promise to pray for you and one day insha-allah again we will meet to give each other another salaam and once again share a brotherly hug.
Azmat the loving family man leaves behind a wife and three children.
USKA Charity Project 2025 - USKA Food Parcel & Hot Meal Campaign
Hunger is a daily struggle for millions of people all around the world. Rising food costs, displacement and economic instability have left countless families facing food insecurity, forcing them having to make impossible choices between meals, healthcare and education.
We believe that no one should have to go to bed hungry and as a result the USKA Fight Factory has teamed up with it's charity partners at As-Suffa Relief to really make a difference.
Our Food Parcel & Hot Meal Campaign is a lifeline for vulnerable communities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Palestine, Bangladesh, Gambia, South Africa and other conflict-stricken regions.
Through this initiative, we are committed to tackling food poverty by providing essential nourishment to those in desperate need.
*Direct Beneficiaries of this project: 5125
*Project Objective:
The Primary objective of this project is to provide essential food support to individuals and families facing food insecurity.
Through the the requested £10,000 food fund we aim to allocate £5,000 towards the provision of hot meals and £5,000 towards distributing food parcels.
*Project Outcome:
As a charity committed to tackling food poverty, this project aims to provide essential nourishment to vulnerable communities abroad.
With the £10,000 funding, we will directly impact those in need by delivering both hot meals and food parcels in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
We will allocate £5,000 towards distributing food parcels each costing £40 and capable of sustaining a family of five.
This will allow us to provide 125 families with essential groceries, ensuring they have access to staple foods and nutrition for an extended period.
The remaining £5,000 will be dedicated to providing hot meals, with each meal costing just £1 per person.
This funding will enable us to serve £5,000 hot meals to individuals in need, offering immediate relief to those facing hunger.
Through this initiative we aim to:
* Provide sustained food support to families with food insecurity. Offer immediate nourishment through affordable, nutritious hot meals.
* Strengthen Community resilience by reducing hunger and improving overall well-being.
Project Budget: £10,000
* £5,000 - Hot Meals
* £5,000 - Food Parcels
*Project Background:
Food insecurity remains a critical issue in many parts of the world, with vulnerable families struggling to afford basic nutrition.
As a charity, we are dedicated to alleviating hunger and ensuring that no individual goes without a meal.
This project focuses on providing direct food assistance abroad, targeting communities facing economic hardship, displacement and limited access to resources.
Rising food costs, unemployment and unstable living conditions have worsened food poverty in many regions.
Families are often forced to make difficult choices between food, healthcare, and education.
By implementing this project, we aim to provide immediate relief through nutritious food parcels and hot meals, addressing both short-term and longer-term food security and solutions.
*Impact:
The £10,000 funding will be instrumental in supporting individuals and families in need.
* 125 food parcels distributed (£40 per parcel) - Each parcel will sustain a family of five, providing essential food staples that help reduce malnutrition and improve overall well-being.
* 5,000 hot meals (£1 per meal) - Nutritious freshly prepared meals will be provided to individuals who may otherwise go hungry, ensuring they receive sustenance and energy.
*Conclusion:
We stand firm in our mission to combat food poverty and provide life-saving support to those in need.
Through our Food Parcel and Hot Meal Campaign, we are not only offering immediate nourishment but also restoring dignity and hope to families struggling with hunger.
With your generosity, we can continue to make a profound difference ensuring that no child, no mother, no elderly person goes without a meal.
Zakat Applicable Donations:
We are pleased to inform you that our USKA Food Parcel & Hot Meal Campaign is Zakat-Applicable, ensuring that your contributions fulfill your Zakat obligations while supporting those in need.
All donations will be allocated in accordance with Islamic Guidelines, directly benefiting eligible recipients as outline in Zakat principles.
Please Donate Here:
Justgiving Page for USKA Charity Project 2025
USKA ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP 2024 COMPLETE
IN THE NAME AND MEMORY OF KHUZAIMAH DOUGLAS AND AZMAT YAQUB
For our Charity project for 2024 the USKA Fight Factory teamed up with Charity partners As-Suffa Relief which is a UK-based charity devoted to providing essential support and care to vulnerable communities both here in the UK and abroad. For this year’s goal we decided to raise £10,000 and chose Orphan Sponsorship for children all around the world as our mission.
Being an orphan anywhere in the world is a serious challenge, whilst being an orphan in a land facing war, poverty, disasters and calamities present added extreme challenges which can be truly unbearable. There are more than 150 million children worldwide who are orphans and without the love, comfort, care and attention of a parent, a child is left in limbo, struggling to survive or even reach their potential in life. This year we intended to help provide urgent care, comfort, support and sponsorship to many orphans in Palestine, Lebanon and Pakistan.
Through a number of Charity initiatives throughout the year and through the kindness of our USKA Fight Factory family and friends we are pleased to announce that we have hit our total and have raised £10,000 to fully support 23 orphans for an entire year, offering these vulnerable children the stability, care, and opportunities they urgently need. This funding will go directly towards covering essential expenses such as food, water, clothing, education, shelter and healthcare for each child, ensuring they are nurtured in a safe and supportive environment. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), Through this fundraising we have made a substantial difference in children’s lives, Our contribution will be providing hope and opportunities for a brighter future.
Thank you, We are truly grateful for every single person that has contributed this year to our project, may God bless you all.
Khuda Hafif (May God be your guardian).
USKA 2023 CHARITY HOUSE BUILD PROJECT ON THE TURKISH BORDER lDLIB COMPLETE
IN THE NAME AND MEMORY OF KHUZAIMAH DOUGLAS AND AZMAT YAQUB
USKA arranged multiple charity events throughout the year raising an incredible £11,400 and through our Charity partners at Jigsaw constructed 6 brick built homes consisting of 2 living/bedrooms areas, a kitchen, a utility area, a bathroom, a courtyard and a solar powered water tank at the cost of £1,900 each.
These homes have housed family's affected by the devastating earthquake in February 2023.
Jigsaw Village 2.0. in total consists of 500 houses creating a real community to help people reestablish and rebuild their lives.
Our man on the ground Nadeem Minhas was kind enough to send us video updates and it is absolutely amazing to see how things have come together.
We would like to thank each and every contributor to the project, the Jigsaw charity for the support and of course Nad for his help and guidance from day one to now.
This USKA Fight Factory Charity Project was carried out in the memory of our beloved students Khuzaimah Douglas and Azmat Yaqub who we miss dearly.
God bless you all for your kindness!
USKA CHARITY UGANDAN MOSQUE BUILD PROJECT 2022 COMPLETE
IN THE NAME AND MEMORY OF KHUZAIMAH DOUGLAS AND AZMAT YAQUB
In 2022 USKA Fight Factory Kickboxing Gym in Birmingham undertook a Charity project with it's Charity partner ISRA-UK to raise funds to build a Mosque in Uganda, Africa in the loving memory of their Brothers Azmat Yaqub and Khuzaimah Douglas.
The proposed Mosque would be 13 meters x 13 meters in size have three main doors, 8 windows, a minaret and be fully plastered at a cost of £10,000.
In addition to the Mosque they would raise a further £5,000 to extend an added Electric Solar Powered area that would also incorporate a Wudu and Toilet Area.
After raising funds through the kindness of the gyms members and friends throughout 2022 construction on the Mosque began in January 2023 and we are pleased to announce that it is finally complete with the community now making use of the Mosque and the facilities.
The Mosque is situated in Kitayiza, Kiganda sub county in Kassanda district, Along Mubende-fort portal highway which is 105km from Kampala city centre.
We would like to thank everyone who made this project possible, who prayed for it's success and who contributed to it in whatever way big or small.
If you are reading this, please say a prayer for Azmat, Khuzaimah and their families. God bless them and God bless you all.
USKA CHARITY UGANDAN MOSQUE BUILD PROJECT 2022
IN THE NAME AND MEMORY OF KHUZAIMAH DOUGLAS AND AZMAT YAQUB
We are thrilled to be able to announce that we have reached our £15,000 target of raising funds to build a Mosque including a Solar Powered Wudu and Toilet area in Uganda in the loving memory of our Brothers Khuzaimah Douglas and Azmat Yaqub who we miss dearly..
The fundraising that we had initially anticipated would take us 2 years to complete has amazingly taken us just over 10 months through the support and kindness of all our contributors.
Construction of the Mosque can now commence with anticipated completion of the project being wrapped up between June and August 2023 if not sooner.
Please check back here regularly for build updates that we hope to receive from our Charity partners ISRA-UK.
We would like to wholeheartedly thank each and everyone who helped to make this happen through donations, support and prayers.
God bless Khuzaimah and Azmat and God Bless you all.
Written by Neil Kelly – 30th July 2004
Below you can see some pictures of some Charity water aid projects that we have set up in our Brother Azmat's name and memory.
