Ukrainian boxing great Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced his retirement at the age of 37.
Lomachenko can lay claim to one of the most decorated resumes in the history of the sport, with a glittering professional run coming after one of the greatest amateur careers of all time.
He claimed Olympic gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 before turning pro with an improbable ledger of 396-1 in the unpaid ranks.
He was also a double world and European champion. His solitary defeat came in his first world championship bout when, at 19, he had to settle for silver following defeat to the Russian Albert Selimov. He avenged that loss at the Beijing Games the following year.
After turning professional in 2013, he won a world title in just his third bout and became a three-weight world champion by his 12th.
“I am thankful that, as my career comes to an end, I have generated clarity about the direction a person must take in order to achieve true victory,” Lomachenko said in a video posted on social media.
Considered one of the most technically gifted fighters of all time, Lomachenko boasted outstanding footwork thanks to ballet training as a youngster. Fast hands, aggression, combination punching and an ability to pivot and create angles made him a fan favourite and separated him from the competition.
As a professional, Lomachenko spent much of his career fighting way above his optimal weight as he went in search of fresh challenges. He retires with a record of 18 wins and three losses, two of which were highly controversial.
A close friend of unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, he was trained throughout his career by his father Anatoly Lomachenko.
“My father taught me not only boxing, but how to be a role model for my own children,” he said.
“I've made many mistakes in life and in the gym, but he was always by my side, correcting me when needed. I have many warm memories.”
Following his outstanding amateur career, Lomachenko challenged for a world title in just his second professional fight, losing a controversial bout to Orlando Salido in 2014.
Mexican veteran Salido came in overweight and fouled Lomachenko with low blows throughout.
He bounced back in his next fight by outclassing Gary Russell Jr to claim the WBO featherweight title, before going on to win world titles at super-featherweight and lightweight.
The likes of Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Jorge Linares were swept aside before he lost a narrow decision to Teofimo Lopez up at lightweight in 2020.
Lomachenko picked up three more wins before a controversial defeat to a much bigger and younger Devin Haney. The consensus was that the Ukrainian had done enough to earn the nod.
He bounced back to win the IBF lightweight title against George Kambosos Jr last May but has decided to bow out with his legacy more than secured.
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
