Balraj Singh Khara is a British professional super-middleweight boxer who was born with a hearing impairment. Raised in Feltham, West London, he turned professional in 2022 and has built a reputation for resilience, determination and focus, with a record of eight wins, two draws and two losses.
Alongside boxing, Khara mentors young fighters through the charity Rise and Thrive and advocates turning challenges into strengths.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Balraj started seeing his hearing impairment as a strength. He said, “I believe it is all about perception. At first, I would focus on what I was missing out on or what I couldn’t hear. Then after a period of time I realised that it doesn’t matter if I can’t hear everything, this allows me to focus on what is in front of me and do the best I can do.”
Boxing is a sport filled with noise, split-second instructions and constant adjustments, both in training and while travelling for fights. Balraj said his hearing impairment has taught him to filter out distractions and focus on what matters most. “I have learned that I don’t need to hear everything. All I need to hear is my coach and his instructions. This allows me to lock in on my opponent and win the fight. Everything else is a distraction and out of my control. I just focus on what I can control, and that’s myself.”
“It is very important to break any stereotypes that we have”
Reflecting on his professional debut at York Hall in March 2022, Balraj recalled the significance of having his first fight on Mother’s Day, “It happened to fall on Mother’s Day, which made it difficult to sell tickets and get people to come along and watch. I would even suggest that people bring their mum and say “You’re taking her to the East End for an event”. Still, I had a great day, a great experience getting my hands wrapped, walking out to over 200 people cheering me on and then getting the win. It really meant a lot seeing all these people come out to support me and I’ll forever be grateful. The moment that stuck with me the most was making my ring walk and seeing everyone in the crowd. I wanted to put on a show for them, to say thank you for coming and watching me.”
As a third-generation British Sikh, Balraj believes his Sikh and British-Indian heritage is an important part of his identity as a boxer. “It is very important to break any stereotypes that we have. I understand that our parents only want the best for us and see us do well. Seeing their children participate in sports is probably not their first choice of career. I’m here to show people what is possible and what we can do, and inspire the next generation to believe that anything is possible and that they can live life on their own terms.”
He also believes social media can play an important role in giving greater visibility to South Asian sporting talent. “I believe now with social media we can achieve more exposure. There's a lot of talent coming through and we must create a platform that can showcase our skills. As time goes on, we’ll see a lot more South Asians coming through. I believe in the next 5-10 years there will be a significant increase,” he added.
Balraj supports Rise and Thrive in its work against child exploitation and believes sport can provide young people with a positive alternative to negative influences. “Growing up in a poor demographic, it’s very easy for children to be misled by a certain lifestyle portrayed by older people. We need to show that there are other routes they can take which are more honourable. Rise and Thrive do a great job in keeping their doors open for all young kids from any background. They create a safe place for these children and help them learn a skill which they can carry on throughout their life.”
Drawing on his own experiences of growing up in a similar environment, he added, “I want to show these kids that, by working hard and staying dedicated, they can have a much better life.”
That message of resilience is particularly personal to Balraj, who has built his own career while living with a hearing impairment. Asked what he would say to a young person with a disability who feels their condition is holding them back, he said: “At the start it takes a lot of courage to do something new with a disability. I would reassure them that everything will be okay, that their disability won’t hold them back and to make sure that they enjoy themselves. I would also say to bring a friend that they get along with. It really helps having someone they know beside them.”
