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Article: Iraqi boxer lives a once-impossible dream.
- Article from:
- The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX)
- Article date:
- August 18, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Dallas Morning News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Kevin B. Blackistone
ATHENS _ Najah Ali was one of the fortunate few, sort of. He was so good as a boxer, winning medals in national and regional tournaments, that Saddam Hussein's sadistic son, Uday, who headed Iraq's Olympic effort, didn't find need to torture him.
Unfortunately, and ironically, the violence of pugilism also didn't much interest vicious Uday. So accomplished Iraqi boxers like Ali rarely were promoted for Summer Games' play. Only three ever got so far, the last in '92. Ali's father, Salah, an Arab Games' champion in the early `80s, never made it the Olympics.
So a vision Ali dreamed of climbing into an Olympic ring was ...