Customs officer mulls world stage after bagging Asian belt

Late bloomer: Adli Hafidz showing the light heavyweight WBC Asian Continental belt he won recently. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

JOHOR BARU: Tall and unassuming, civil servant Adli Hafidz Mohd Pauzi nevertheless packs a punch – literally.

The Johor Customs enforcement officer is a boxing champion who won the light heavyweight WBC Asian Continental belt less than a month ago.

The father of two has been involved in boxing for the past 20 years.

“I got started in boxing when I was a 15-year-old student at Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, also known as English College.

“The school has a boxing club and I was quite active in sports, so I just tried it out at first as a hobby.

“But my school coach saw the potential in me and encouraged me to focus on boxing,” said the 35-year-old in an interview here recently.

Adli Hafidz’s boxing career has had its ups and downs, including winning the silver medal for Malaysia at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, which inspired him to turn professional a year later.

As boxing is a contact sport, he has suffered numerous injuries, including 20 stitches over his left eye due to a bad cut from a punch during a match two years ago.

Adli Hafidz, whose nickname is “Goldenboy” and has a record of 13 victories and one loss, has picked up five championship belts since turning professional.

“I am lucky that I have a tremendous support system – not only from my family but also from the Customs Department.

“My daily routine entails me carrying out my duties as the Customs Department enforcement officer in the day before going to the gym to train later at night,” he said.

Adli Hafidz looks to international football star Cristiano Ronaldo as an inspiration for him to always be the best.

“People think boxing is a young man’s sport, but there are boxers who became champions much later in their careers.

“Just like Ronaldo, it is about mental strength and consistency, which he always shows on the football pitch.

“I just need to make sure I am consistent. For me, I want to be a world champion,” he said.

Adli Hafidz has received offers to box in New York, Osaka and Bangkok, which he is currently considering.

He also opened his own boxing academy last year, where he is currently training about 60 students between the ages of five and 44.

“Hopefully, soon, boxing can be one of the main sports in Malaysia. I am just doing my small part to expand it even further,” he said.