British boxing Olympian and world champion Anthony Joshua has opened up on Islam’s impact on him and his boxing career.

He said this after beating Mexican-American opponent Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia, SecondsOut reported.

”A big role Islam has played in my life because my uncles went to Makkah and pray for me,” he told a reporter from Radio Rahim who asked the champion about the role of Islam in his life.

“If a Muslim comes to me and prays for me for blessings. I will respect the person,” he added.

In June this year, Anthony Joshua was shocked at Madison Square Garden as he lost to Andy Ruiz, so the fight in Saudi Arabic was a kind of redemption for him .

He defeated his opponent on Saturday, December 7, to reclaim his World Heavyweight titles.

There is no confirmed news about Joshua’s faith.

In 2017, he received a wave of negative comments after sharing a photo for him praying in a Dubai mosque with his Muslim friends. The picture triggered vitriolic comments from many of his fans.

In a later interview with iFL TV, Joshua said: “I am not a Muslim but I respect Muslims and appreciate Muslims”.

Joshua was born on 15 October 1989 in Watford, Hertfordshire, the son of Yeta and Robert Joshua. His mother is Nigerian, while his father is of Nigerian and Irish ancestry. Joshua’s Nigerian background can be specifically traced back to the Yoruba people.