Credit where credit is due: Islamic men have not been feminised like Kiwi men are. The relentless promotion of Islamic immigration by the NZ media continues daily…
If you’re a boxer, you can’t have a better name than Ali. And young Afghan refugee Ali Madad Mashal is living up to his name.
When the 20-year-old arrived in New Zealand in March, one of his first priorities was finding the Wellington Boxing Gym because for him, boxing’s more than just a sport.
“When I training, I so happy and I feel good. When I not training, I feel sad and thinking about my family, thinking about everything (sic),” says Madad Mashal.
The young boxer’s whole life has been a fight. He fled war-torn Afghanistan when he was only 15 years old, leaving his whole family behind.
He ended up in an immigration centre in Indonesia, alone.
“I sleep two weeks in the floor (sic), my bag is my pillow.”
He spent five years in Indonesia, as a refugee. Learning how to box helped him survive while he waited to be resettled in New Zealand.
He thinks he is lucky, but his boxing trainer, Asher Derbyshire, believes luck has nothing to do with it. He says Ali’s work ethic got him to New Zealand, and will take him far in boxing as well.
“The boxing’s the easiest part for this guy. He has been through so much, that’s why I think he’s going to do so well.”
He’s already doing well; he won two Wellington titles in his weight class this month. He is looking for sponsors as he eyes up a national title.
“Keep your eye out for Ali, he’s coming,” says Derbyshire.
Madad Mashal hopes his family will be ringside for that fight. They’re currently going through the refugee resettlement process from Kabul.
Until then, the boxing gym is his home.
“When I miss my family, you know what I do? When I miss my family I come beat the bag and I just feel a little bit good. That’s why I love to box.”
His ultimate goal is the Olympics. He wants to represent New Zealand, the country that gave him the freedom he fought so hard for.
