Najah Ali
Encyclopedia
Najah Ali is an Iraq
i professional boxer
, who was the only Iraqi boxer to qualify for the 2004 Athens, Greece Olympics
.
Najah Ali grew during the Saddam Hussein
era. He claims to have heard from other athletes about torture
s committed against them by Hussein and his son Uday
, but he himself was never hurt by them.
In 2002, Najah Ali won the Asia
n amateur boxing championship.
in 2003, Ali met with Maurice Watkins
, a former professional world title challenger who had been assigned by the American government to train Iraq's Olympic boxing team.
Ali and eight other Olympic hopefuls were put on a strong training
regime by Watkins. Despite losing in qualifying competitions at different countries, Ali became the only Iraqi to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games, earning a wild-card spot because of his sportsmanship, among other things.
After securing their Olympic spot, Ali and Watkins moved to New York, where they began to train at the legendary Gleason's Gym
. Their story was subsequently shown at many United States outlets, including CNN
.
Ali hoped to become Iraq's first Olympic boxing medalist, the second one overall, and the first Iraqi to earn a medal since a wrestler
earned a Bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He competed in the light flyweight weight class
(the lightest, for all boxers under 48 kilograms), winning his first bout vs a North Korean by a healthy margin of 21-7. In the second round, however, he was defeated by Aleksan Nalbandyan.
at Alrafdean University, applied to the University of Houston
to continue his studies. He was accepted by the university, but has been denied a student visa
four times by the United States Department of State
.
At the Asian Games 2006
he lost his first match 21:30 to eventual runner-up Suban Pannon
.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i professional boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, who was the only Iraqi boxer to qualify for the 2004 Athens, Greece Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
.
Career
Ali became interested in boxing as a young child, but most boxing gyms in Iraq at the time were generally in bad shape, making it hard for him and his fellow young boxers to train.Najah Ali grew during the Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
era. He claims to have heard from other athletes about torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
s committed against them by Hussein and his son Uday
Uday Hussein
Uday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and...
, but he himself was never hurt by them.
In 2002, Najah Ali won the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n amateur boxing championship.
Olympics
After the United States invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
in 2003, Ali met with Maurice Watkins
Maurice Watkins
Maurice Watkins is a former boxer from Houston, Texas. Nicknamed Termite, he was born into a family that was in the insect killing business, and he is a professional fumigator.-Professional Boxing Career:...
, a former professional world title challenger who had been assigned by the American government to train Iraq's Olympic boxing team.
Ali and eight other Olympic hopefuls were put on a strong training
Boxing training
Boxing training is the training method that boxers use in order to get more fit for their sport. This training method is often cited by medical doctors, boxing trainers, and writers as one of the most spartan forms of sports training.- Training :...
regime by Watkins. Despite losing in qualifying competitions at different countries, Ali became the only Iraqi to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games, earning a wild-card spot because of his sportsmanship, among other things.
After securing their Olympic spot, Ali and Watkins moved to New York, where they began to train at the legendary Gleason's Gym
Gleason's Gym
Gleason's is a boxing gym located on the Brooklyn waterfront. Since 1937, when the gym was founded in the Bronx, boxers with their eyes on Olympic glory or a shot at the title have been training at Gleason's. Fighters who trained at the gym include Jake LaMotta, Roberto Durán, Benny "Kid" Paret,...
. Their story was subsequently shown at many United States outlets, including CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
.
Ali hoped to become Iraq's first Olympic boxing medalist, the second one overall, and the first Iraqi to earn a medal since a wrestler
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
earned a Bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He competed in the light flyweight weight class
Boxing at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Light Flyweight
The Light Flyweight class in the boxing at the 2004 Summer Olympics competition was the lightest class. Light flyweights were limited to those boxers weighing less than 48 kilograms.-Medalists:-Schedule:-Results:-Notes:...
(the lightest, for all boxers under 48 kilograms), winning his first bout vs a North Korean by a healthy margin of 21-7. In the second round, however, he was defeated by Aleksan Nalbandyan.
After Athens
Ali, who earned a bachelor's degree in computer scienceComputer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at Alrafdean University, applied to the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
to continue his studies. He was accepted by the university, but has been denied a student visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
four times by the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
.
At the Asian Games 2006
Boxing at the 2006 Asian Games
Boxing at the 2006 Asian Games took place in the Academy for Sports Excellence in Sports City, 8 kilometers to the west of Doha. The event was only open to men, and the bouts were contested over four rounds of two minutes each...
he lost his first match 21:30 to eventual runner-up Suban Pannon
Suban Pannon
Suban Pannon is a Thai amateur boxer who won a gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games.-Career:Pannon won the 1998 Asian Games in the men's light flyweight division. He claimed the bronze medal in the same division one year earlier, at the 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Houston, Texas.He...
.