Eisa Aldah had just finished a five-hour training session ahead of his welterweight bout with Ignasi Caballero Perez of Spain this weekend, when a karate class entered the mat-padded gymnasium. As an instructor put the students through their paces, the young boys seemed unaware they were sharing the room with the UAE's top - and only - professional boxer.
It is hard to imagine the same thing happening to Floyd Mayweather Jr, the undefeated American who has won world titles in five weight categories, at a gym in Las Vegas, or Amir Khan, the WBA world super lightweight title-holder, in his hometown Bolton in England.
"Who?" responded Ahmed, a nine-year-old Emirati, and Kosa, 11, whose parents moved to Dubai five years ago from Syria, when asked if they knew of Eisa Aldah, the "Arabian Warrior".
Of course, Manny Pacquiao, the WBC world super welterweight and WBO world welterweight champion, could probably have been in the room and the children would have been none the wiser.
"I don't know much about any boxers," Ahmed said.
"I know Mike Tyson," Kosa said excitedly. "He once bit a man's ear off. He was a very famous boxer."
Kosa was only five years old the last time Tyson stepped into a ring. It is clear Aldah will need to do more than knock out his opponent tomorrow night at the Dubai World Trade Centre if he is to gain notoriety and inspire the next generation of boxers in the UAE.
There are a lot of sports to compete with here, including football, cricket, horse racing and Formula One. Capturing the attention of youngsters will not be easy.
"It's true, boxing has a long way to go to become as popular as football and other sports," said al Dah, who receives backing from the Dubai Sports Council. "But that's why I'm here.
"As much for myself - I want to become a successful boxer who people talk about - but I want children, not just Emirati, but all children in the UAE to take more of an interest in boxing.
"But to do this, I must improve as a boxer. I can only achieve so much here [in Dubai], this is why I must go to places like the UK to train in the best gyms and spar with the best boxers that I can."
Aldah has been sparring with Khan at his base in England and has forged a close relationship. Al Dah said there is no substitute for the tips he picks up working around the fringes of Khan, who, at 24, is eight years his junior, and his trainer Freddie Roach, who is the cornerman to Pacquaio, the Filipino who is the only man to have won world titles in eight weight divisions.
"Amir is a great champion and a true warrior," Aldah said. "Just watching him, the little things; his movement, the angles he throws punches from. Working with someone like that can only be a huge benefit to me.
"This is my plan. No matter what happens in my next fight, it is important that in between fights, I surround myself with champions like Amir, so I can become the best boxer I can.
"I do this because it's in my heart. It is my dream to become a world champion. It is my mission to show Emirati people that they too can become champions. They just have to follow their dreams."
Tomorrow, he will fight for the UAE World Championship title. Although the belt may hold little clout, al Dah intends to use it as a stepping stone, and he accepts there will be many more before he fulfils his ambition to fight for a major title.
"It will be a long process, even after my fight against Caballero. I know this," he said. "But, with the right training, the right support and the right strategy, in a few years' time, I can accomplish my goal."
Anthony "Chill" Wilson, his trainer, is an American who has been part of several US national teams and worked with Pernell Whitaker and Randall Bailey, among others. When he began working with Aldah, he was not impressed.
"When I first saw Eisa he was even worse than an amateur boxer," Wilson said. "He looked like he was treading quicksand and he just didn't know how to throw combinations."
But Wilson focused on Aldah's strengths, rather than dwell on his weaknesses.
"He's a good puncher and he's got potential," he said. "A good puncher with good potential can become a world champion. He just needs the right kind of training."
One important person will be missing from his corner when he faces Perez (5-3) tomorrow on the Dubai International Championship card. His father, Mohammed, died last month after a long battle against illness.
That is one reason why Aldah is behind schedule in terms of the number of fights he should have had by the age of 32. Since turning professional, he has fought only eight times - and only one of those was in 2010, when he returned to the UAE from his base in England to be by his father's side.
However, if his father's illness made Eisa lose focus; his passing seems to have helped restore it.
"My father was a big loss to me. He was my biggest supporter and was always by my side," Aldah said. "He is still by my side, just in a different way now. I am determined to win a major title not just for me and my country, but for my father."
Al Dah turned professional boxer in 2007 at 27. His record stands at six wins and two defeats, fighting in the UK, US and Mexico, as well as twice in Dubai.
His family have had to come to terms with his career switch, swapping the security of an office job for one littered with physical dangers and financial uncertainty.
"Yes, they did find it a little strange at first," al Dah said when recalling telling his mother and father. "I had a job - a good job - with a good salary, but boxing was in my heart. It's what I wanted to do."
Eisa's mother, who he said voiced the loudest objections before finally accepting his change of vocation, will be in the crowd tomorrow at the Sheikh Rashid Hall.
Al Dah's boyish good looks belie his 32 years. Joe Calzaghe, the handsome Welsh boxer who dominated the super middleweight division before retiring undefeated, once said there are only two reasons a boxer keeps his looks: one, because he is too good to get hit, or two, because he rarely gets in the ring to get hit.
The latter applies to Aldah, but he refuses to believe anything other than that his best days in the sport are ahead of him.
That may account for the lack of urgency in jumping into the ring for just any fight. Some promoters might try to push al Dah to take any opportunity that arises, forcing him to travel to boxing backwaters in search of bouts that will garner little for his bank balance or reputation.
However, Jessie Robinson, his promoter, the chief executive of EMD Sports Services who has been promoting events in the US for 25 years, working with boxing legends such as Tommy "Hitman" Hearns and promoters Bob Arum and Don King, has a different strategy for al Dah.
"I've been in boxing a long time," Robinson said. "I've worked with some of the best. Believe me, 32 is no age. Boxers don't hit their prime until they're 36-37. Eisa's got plenty of time on his side. But for Eisa to become a world champion, he needs to go to countries like the US, the UK and be around guys who can take him up to the next level."
sluckings@thenational.ae
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Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
SHAITTAN
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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
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2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
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SPECS
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
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Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
