Yaseen Alrubaye is an amateur boxer of Iraqi origin who escaped his country in 2010, when he was 11 years old, because of the war initiated by the United States to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Turkey was his first host country as a refugee, 3 years later he traveled to Boston, United States, where he began to realize his dream as a boxer.
At age 17, Yaseen Alrubaye became one of the most prominent wrestlers in his weight division, with an undefeated record of 17-0 in the amateur category of the Golden Gloves. The Golden Gloves are the best-known amateur boxing tournaments in the United States.
I was 13 years old when I came to the United States, I was still an amateur boxer. I don’t want to become a professional until I have enough experience.
Yaseen Alrubaye.
«I used to sell empty bottles of beer and alcohol to buy food».
Yaseen says he started boxing in Turkey; In Turkey, Yaseen found himself in a different country, with language and customs totally unknown to him. He wanted to be a boxer, and he loved boxing, even though he didn’t know how to fight. “In Turkey I have been threatened with death, mainly because of my beliefs, I was being harassed and persecuted after school by a group of boys every day,” says Yaseen Alrubaye.
Yaseen says he was too young and lived on the streets. So, he decided to approach a boxing gym and offer his services in exchange for accommodation and training. “I had to learn the language, and I knew school wasn’t going to work for me,” Yaseen says. He lived in the gym in exchange for picking up, tidying up and keeping the space clean, “that’s how I got away with a free membership every month,” Yaseen recalls.
Yaseen Alrubaye: “BEING IN TURKEY MADE ME A BETTER BOXER, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN’T HAVE A PLACE TO STAY”
In the gym, they took advantage of the fact that Yaseen did not know how to fight to teach the rest of the students. But he says that helped him a lot when it came to learning different techniques. This is how he spent the 3 years he lived in Turkey, without ceasing to dream of a better future at any time.
I left behind my coach and many friends, he wanted me to stay there with him. I told him I had to go, it was the best thing for me. He, my coach, knows people who are here, and willing to help me, and he did.
Yaseen Alrubaye.
After 3 years of boxing in the United States, Yaseen became, at the age of 17, one of the toughest punchers in his weight division. With a 17-0 record, he never lost a fight in the amateur gold gloves. Currently, Yaseen continues school from high school to night school. He is looking to become a professional before he turns 23.