Daniel ‘The Kid’ Goldstone speaks to JLife’s Katherine Howard about his boxing ambitions, mum’s chicken soup and his imminent move to Israel.

Daniel ‘The Kid’ Goldstone, 23, has gone from an unknown, aspiring boxer to an Amateur Boxing Union (ABU) Super Lightweight contender within a matter of weeks, following his win against an established boxer at his amateur debut in May. He’s now on the road to becoming the ABU champion with a championship match lined-up for 30th July at Anglers W.M.C in Leeds. His seemingly overnight success is the result of years of training with top coach Rick Manners. “Ben Apfel, a close friend and boxer, introduced me to Rick Manners School of Boxing in Leeds after I got into trouble at school as a way of giving me discipline,” explains Daniel. “It’s given me ambition, focus and motivation.”

It was the White Collar Boxing Event in April, a local charity event, which spurred Daniel on to pursue his boxing ambitions: “When I was younger I sparred all over Leeds but was unlucky never to get a match. When the opportunity arose, I made the most of it and have trained really hard ever since.” Daniel’s training regime - two hours a day, seven days a week - is mentally and physically challenging; when he’s not working on his foot work he’s working on his head movement, if he’s not sparring he’s running, if he’s not hitting a bag he’s shadowing boxing… the list goes on. He also credits his mother’s cooking: “I don’t take any supplements other than my mother’s very special chicken soup. It does the job!”

Daniel’s moniker ‘The Kid’ is something of a Jewish tradition, harking back to the days when the community had a band of prize fighters: “When Jews first settled in Leeds and didn’t have a lot of money, Jewish lads made a name for themselves as boxers. There were also renowned Jewish boxers, like Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis in the early 20th century.” There are signs of a revival of Jewish boxing pride. Light heavyweight Simon Black, another of Rick Manners’ protégés, is also in contention for an ABU title this month. “There’s a perception now that Jews are affluent and have a comfortable life. That doesn’t mean we’re not strong or can’t stand up for ourselves,” adds Daniel. “Dimitry Salida of Brooklyn, NYC, is an example of a Jewish boxer making a name for himself.”

Daniel’s also busy preparing to leave Leeds and move to Israel in August. He’s wanted to return ever since he took a year out to volunteer at a co-existence project with Israeli and Arab children five years ago. He will live on a kibbutz in Naan, near Tel Aviv, where he will learn Hebrew and study business, leisure and tourism, all while keeping up to his boxing training: “As much as I love Leeds, I can’t wait to return to Israel and start a new life. Boxing has given me the confidence to achieve whatever I set out to do.”