QATAR?S FIRST PRO BOXER SHEIKH FAHAD AL THANI DREAMS OF A FIGHT BEFORE HOME FANS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 18 Oct 2016
Al Thani.
Qatar?s first professional boxer, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, nicknamed ?Panther? is dreaming big and wants a fight before his home fans.
After winning his second fight in Oviedo, Spain, the 28-year-old Qatari Super Lightweight boxer has a perfect 2-0 record in his ground-breaking career following an amateur run which saw him get some 40 fights under his belt.
Matthias Krug in an article on the WBC website quoted Sheikh Fahad Al Thani who said ?It was a very proud achievement for me to become my country?s first professional boxer, and then also to win my second fight in a row in Spain recently. Now my ambition is to arrange a fight this year in front of my home fans, at a major venue in Qatar. If I keep training hard and winning my fights, I dream of one day fighting in and filling a major stadium like Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.?
Sheikh Fahad Al Thani said ?It is an honor to be representing my country, which is making such a big commitment to becoming known as a nation of sporting events and outstanding athletes like our high-jump Olympic medallist Mutaz Barshim. In 2022 we will host the FIFA World Cup as the first Arab nation in history, and all of those of my generation and others in Qatar have the privilege of making their contribution to this outstanding sporting development.?
Ahead of his recent fight in Oviedo, Spain, a surprising reference to football helped to get the local fans on the side of the man who was once a junior team goalkeeper before switching to the boxing gloves.
He said ?It was an idea the promoter had, to get me to put on the shirt of the local football team, Real Oviedo, as I walked up to the ring. The crowd reacted in fantastic fashion. In general I have a big passion for football and support the Qatari national team whenever they play. In Europe, I love watching Manchester United play, and of course the legendary Brazil team of 2002 was one I will never forget, with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos. A lot of boxing fights are also held in football venues, so anything is possible in the future.?
Just ten years after taking up boxing, the Qatari fighter says daily training and a relentless attention to detail have taken him to the place where he is, and he points to the sporting nation around him as the source of inspiration behind his journey.
He said ?The sporting ambitions of Qatar have allowed me to fulfill my dreams of becoming a professional boxer. I have studied in great depth the videos and photos of the legendary Muhammed Ali when he fought here in Doha in 1973. He is a great source of inspiration to me, and I believe that the whole of the Middle East and the Arab world is looking for a role model to inspire a young generation of boxers. We have plenty of talented youngsters who are taking up the sport, and I think that when they see my fights they too will be inspired to dream big.?
Krug reported that ?the sporting journey of Qatar?s first professional boxer has not been a straight-forward one, and he is refreshingly upbeat about the challenges both behind and in front of him. ?It was a tough decision for me to turn professional, and I thought about it well. The step up has been to an entirely different level of competitiveness, and I have adapted my training accordingly. But when you step into the ring you realize that being first at something doesn?t matter, only the fight at hand does. In the first fight I took an early hit and went down on the floor. But I got back up, shook myself off, and focused on how I could win the fight. Shortly after that I landed the winning punch, and it just confirmed to me that I am on the right track.?
With two straight knock-out wins under the belt in his promising professional career, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani has set his sights on bringing boxing firmly into the focus in Qatar and the Middle East region.
He says ?For me the objective is to raise awareness locally and get more youngsters involved in the sport which I love. I want to keep winning my fights, and to focus on keeping my performance as good as it can be. And of course the ideal setting for me would be to have a fight right here, in front of my home fans.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Parker vs. Wardley: Who Will Keep Winning Streak Alive?
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 25 Oct 2025Dante “The Inferno” Kirkman Stays Undefeated with Second-Round TKO in Southern California Debut
Sat, 25 Oct 2025Elmo Traya, Reymond Yanong, Ivan Ognayon in Action in Brico Santig's Show Today in Thailand, LIVE on TrillerTV
By Carlos Costa, Sat, 25 Oct 2025Alessio Bisutti Fights for WBF Heavyweight World Title in Highland Show October 25 in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Sat, 25 Oct 2025WEIGHTS FROM NIGHT OF KNOCKOUTS XXXVI AT MOTORCITY CASINO HOTEL TONIGHT IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT
Sat, 25 Oct 202530 people arrested in NBA gambling operation
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 25 Oct 2025GM Joey beats CM Marc in Italy World Senior Standard chess tourney to climb at 2nd place
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 25 Oct 2025RomyMac’s Ali memories
By Joaquin Henson, Fri, 24 Oct 2025NBA Daily: Warriors Survive Gordon’s 50 to Beat Nuggets in Overtime 137-131
By Reylan Loberternos, Fri, 24 Oct 2025Grandmaster Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. wins world seniors blitz title in Italy
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 24 Oct 2025Russian athlete, first winner of 8 medals in a single Olympic Games, dies
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Fri, 24 Oct 2025DAY FOUR: SHAW DELIVERS GREATNESS TO JOIN ALCAIDE, CAPITO AND SEVASTYANOV IN STELLAR SEMI-FINAL LINEUP
Fri, 24 Oct 2025Six is ‘Thrilla’s’ magic numbe
By Joaquin Henson, Fri, 24 Oct 2025CARLOS LLINAS PRESENTS TWO BOXING SHOWS IN JUST EIGHT DAYS AT SOUND BOARD IN MOTORCITY CASINO HOTEL STARTING FRINDAY OCT 24
Fri, 24 Oct 2025Boxing Insider Returns to Tropicana Atlantic City with Local Talent and Regional Prospects on November 7
Fri, 24 Oct 2025