Bader Samreen Al Dherat, popularly known as Bader Samreen, has come a long way in a short time during his nascent boxing career. The Dubai-based Jordanian lightweight has risen to 77th in the world rankings – according to BoxRec – since turning pro just over three years ago.
His next goal is to break into the top 50, and then reach the top 10 before the opportunity to compete for a world title. While that might seem a lofty ambition, Samreen has his feet firmly on the ground as he prepares for a crucial juncture in his boxing journey.
Samreen, who turns 24 next month, meets Panamanian Orlando Mosquera, 26, in the headline contest of the fourth edition of the Rising Stars Arabia. The 10-round lightweight bout takes place at the Space 42 Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
“When I first ventured into professional boxing, I was outside top 200 in the rankings but after 10 professional appearances and still undefeated, I have now reached 77. I think that’s remarkable progress,” Samreen told The National.
“Rising Stars Arabia is a platform for Arab fighters to showcase their skill and power. We Arab fighters never had the chance to prove ourselves.”
Samreen took up boxing in 2012, following in the footsteps of his older brother Hesham. He represented his country at the 2018 AIBA World Youth Championships in Hungary and only lost at the semi-final stage to the eventual gold medallist from Cuba.
Having won bronze in the World Youths, Samreen struggled to make the switch to the pro ranks. He finally got the opportunity when Dubai businessman and promoter Ahmed Seddiqi signed him up in 2021.
“I have a Jordanian passport, I didn't have the chance to travel to western countries and pursue a professional career.
“So, that's why it was very hard for me and I gave myself another year. If I didn't have a chance to turn professional then I would have dropped the sport and started working on something else.
“In Jordan, boxing is not really a sport over there, so surviving over there is very hard. I could have wasted so many years and then ended up doing nothing in life.
“Fortunately for me, I got this break to pursue my dream as a professional boxer out of Dubai. I’m very grateful to my manager and promoter Ahmed Seddiqi.”
It indeed has been a tough journey for Samreen, who says the mental aspect of the sport is perhaps even more demanding than the physical.
“Honestly, I can't really describe how hard it has been because most people won’t understand what we go through and how it feels like to be not just a professional boxer but to be a dedicated boxer. I dedicated my entire life to this and it's very tough,” he said.
“It's more mentally demanding than physically because it takes so much time of your life. However, I lead a simple lifestyle and am quite satisfied to continue with what I have chosen to do as a profession.”
Samreen is also a devout Muslim, his faith having withstood the tests of time and hardships. “I'm a strong believer and Allah is with me. Also, my family, they really inspire me and I need to do this for them. I owe this to them,” he said.
“I do make smart choices with my money that I make from the sport of boxing and that's why I don't really find a need to do something else.”
For now, his focus is on his next challenge. Samreen's opponent Mosquera turned professional in 2016. He suffered his first defeat against Jose Nunez in his fifth fight. A few fights later, he fought John Valencia to a sixth-round technical draw when they battled for the Panamanian national title.
That result was followed by seven wins, two of those against previously unbeaten opponents before Mosquera was stopped by Juan Carrasco. His record stands at 12-2-1.
“Obviously you study your opponents by watching their fights on video but I hope he knows who I am. And, yes, I would like to think the contest will end just like any other for me, which is coming out victorious,” Samreen, who has eight knockouts in his 10 fights, said.
“I'm very confident in my abilities and I'm well prepared. I'm always ready.”
Samreen hasn’t set a time limit on reaching his ultimate goal but, with time on his side, hopes to fulfil his dream of becoming a world champion.
“Me and my team, we study it well,” he explained. “We don't rush our work. We have all the time in the world to do it the right way and enjoy the journey.”
In the other contests this weekend, Emirati Sultan Al Nuaimi (11-0) meets Muhsin Kizota (20-4) in a super flyweight contest, Faizan Anwar (17-0) of India faces Nurali Erdogan (15-2) of France at welterweight, and Moroccan Moussa Gholam is up against Chinese Lingjie Xia in a super featherweight bout.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Company%C2%A0profile
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
