DIRIYAH: Zuhayr and Naseem Al-Qahtani, Saudi Arabia’s first professional boxer and his younger brother, were both in attendance at the final Clash on the Dunes press conference in Diriyah on Wednesday.
Arab News caught up with the brothers afterwards to discuss Saturday’s fight, both boxers’ next steps and what the future holds for their family.
Zuhayr is scheduled to step into the ring on Saturday evening as one of the undercard fighters in the Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua match, being touted as potentially one of the greatest nights in boxing history.
During the press conference, Zuhayr spoke about his confidence in his preparedness for the fight and noted that he was ready to get into the ring as soon as possible.
“For me, every fight is a challenge, and I prepare hard for every fight. This historical fight in a historical city is amazing. I just wanna get started. I’m ready to fight today. I just wanna get in the ring, do the work, make history, and put Saudi on the world map,” he said.
He also spoke about what an event of this magnitude could do to contribute to Saudi Arabia becoming a hotspot for future boxing events.
“There’s so much potential to grow in Saudi Arabia. Basically, boxing is the second biggest sport in the world, and now Saudis are beginning to see boxing. My aim is to inspire the youth. Boxing is taking over in Saudi Arabia. And Saudi is the new place. The best events are happening in Saudi. And I’m gonna pave the way for lots of new Saudi boxers,” he said.
Zuhayr told Arab News that he was “over the moon” about being able to fight in his home country.
“I’m excited, and I’m overwhelmed. This fight will define something amazing for the Middle East. And we’re fighting for a Middle Eastern title. We’re here to make history, and part of history is to do something unique. Being on this bill is doing just that,” he said.
Their whole family is involved in boxing as well. Zuhayr’s earliest influence was his older brother, Fahad, also a boxer. And in addition to Naseem, their sister is a boxer as well.
“Fahad’s the one that introduced me to boxing. He’s very talented. He put me in the ring, and taught me the basics of boxing, showed me the fundamentals, and it’s because of him I’m here,” Zuhayr said.
Naseem followed in both brothers’ footsteps, becoming a boxer in his own right.
“We both had the same passion for boxing, and now he’s the first Saudi boxer, he’s literally paving the way for any other Saudi boxer, including me. The fact that he’s doing it as well as he’s doing it right now, it’s only right for me to continue where he left off,” said Naseem.
Meanwhile, Naseem told Arab News that he had qualified for the 2020 Olympics and would be boxing for Saudi Arabia in Tokyo next year.
“I’m excited to represent my country, I want to lift up my country’s name,” he said of the announcement.
Ever the supportive big brother, Zuhayr can’t wait for the news to become official. “I feel so much excitement. I have never won an Olympic medal, so for my brother to get an Olympic medal is a starting point, and it’s something we need. I’m already a world champion one way or another, but if he gets an Olympic medal, he’ll be doing something that I didn’t do.”
Both brothers stated that while they were involved in the sport together, they didn’t really see themselves as rivals, but rather more like a mentor and a mentee. With 9 years between them (Zuhayr is 30, and Naseem 21), it’s easy to see why.
“I wouldn’t say we have sibling rivalry, we have sibling backing. We inspire each other, we help each other. As a professional, I push my brother to his limit. I make sure that if he can stand in the ring with me, he can stand in the ring with anyone,” said Zuhayr.
“We don’t have rivalry in a sense, we always want the best for each other. We always want to better ourselves in any way, shape, or form, and the fact that I live with him means I’m able to spot weaknesses and tell him before anyone else,” said Naseem.
Both brothers also laughed off the suggestion that they would ever compete against each other in the ring.
“That’s my little brother, I know I can beat him. But maybe I’d let him punch me if it was for like, 20 million or something,” Zuhayr joked.
“I would never box against him. If you put ten million on the line, I’d take a fall, go down straight away. If one of us wins, we all win.” Naseem proclaimed.
Both brothers also had messages to share for anyone interested in following in their footsteps.
“When you’re young, life has a lot of temptations. A lot of things will take you down. If you have a dream, and you want to chase it, cut yourself off from temptation. Don’t smoke, don’t have shisha or cigarettes, and dedicate your whole life to boxing. And have confidence in yourself, and never put yourself down. You’re your own biggest fan,” Naseem said.
“I’m paving the way as a Saudi boxer for all Middle Eastern boxers, but especially for Saudi boxers. And not only for the guys, but for the girls as well. I want to do something in Saudi that’s never been done before. And all I want is for everyone in Saudi to back me up, to lend me their prayers. We need to show the world what we are, really,” said Zuhayr.
