Friends remember pair killed in Anthony Joshua crash

In South Ruislip, north-west London, a community is coming to terms with the deaths of their friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

The pair were travelling with heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua and another passenger when their vehicle collided with a truck on a major road near Lagos, Nigeria, on 29 December.

Ghami and Ayodele were childhood friends of Joshua and were part of his team. Ayodele was Joshua's personal trainer and Ghami was his rehabilitation coach.

Walid Bouzaghar, who was mentored by Ayodele, said: "Sina, Latif, A.J and his team were the epitome of humble."

The west Londoner said that despite being part of Joshua's inner circle, the group had always remained grounded.

"You'd never see those guys around thinking they were better than anyone else.

"I knew Latif as one of my close friends, and he radiated that outwardly, inwardly and that's why so many people have so much good things to say about him.

"His character was always about spreading love, positivity and faith to those around him."

Bouzaghar added Ayodele's Islamic faith played a central role in his life and he was committed to giving back to London's communities.

"Latif would always say: 'Never hold a grudge, you don't know someone else's story. You deal with people in compassion, and you always resolve issues with your brothers and sisters.'

"That was him. He helped me a lot when I was not in a good place. He took me as I was. We travelled to Morocco together and I realised he wasn't just a friend, he was family."

The warmth and kindness of both Ghami and Ayodele has left an enduring imprint on people, including at Ghami's two gyms in South Ruislip and Colindale.

Arthur Pologar, a personal trainer at Evolve Gym in South Ruislip was in Hungary when he found out about the car crash.

"I was back home for Christmas with my family when I got the call. I was like, 'nah it's not real'. I called his number straight away. No answer," he said.

"I just kept hoping it wasn't true. Then it was confirmed, and I flew back to London straight away."

Ghami was born in Iran and moved to the UK at the age of 10.

For Pologar, who moved to London when he was 18, Ghami was a source of confidence and motivation.

"He's inspirational because I can relate to him. Coming here as a foreigner and actually making it in life, that's a big inspiration for me," he said.

"He always supported everyone around him. It's hard to believe he's gone."

Fireman Rhys Verley regularly trains at the branch in South Ruislip and said it felt very different without Ghami.

"It feels really weird that he's no longer here," he said.

"There's definitely a void that's been created. Everyone is trying to continue as best as they can. He was such a kind man. Always giving people like me advice."

In Persian, the name Sina means wisdom and in Arabic, Latif means kindness.

Friends said those two qualities defined both men and created the legacies they leave behind in their communities.

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