Fijian boxing champion ?The Jet? Zulfikaar Joy Ali has passed away at the age of 36 following three weeks in hospital after a reported suicide attempt.
His brother, Farzan Ali told the Fiji Times that Joy Ali was a national boxing hero and will always be remembered for his work and that it was a pity that Joy Ali who contributed so much to the development of boxing in Fiji had passed away.
Mai Life Magazine reported that Ali was once ranked No, 13 in the world and in October 2005 was rated No 15 by the World Boxing Association in the super welterweight division.
Joy Ali?s greatest career achievement was when he won the Pan Asian Boxing Association light middleweight title defeating former world amateur bronze medalist Ercurment Aslan of Turkey.
He was at one time ranked No. 15 by the WBA in the super welterweight division and also held the PABA title after beating Australian Gary Comers.
The Magazine said ?On December 10, 2005, Ali fought against his most important opponent, Javier Mamani from Argentina, who was ranked 9th in the world at that time.
A win would have guaranteed Ali a title fight in the WBA. He put his PABA Light Middleweight title on the line, but was knocked out in the first round by Mamani.
Ali boxed six more times, winning three and losing three ? one in a WBA Asian title fight against Crazy Kim and another to Ghanaian Joseph Kwadjo.
He had 51 fights (31 wins, 26 by knockout) 13 losses and six drawn bouts.?
Fiji based Ghanian boxer Joseph Kwadjo said Joy Ali ?had the heart of a lion and was one of the finest and strongest opponents ever.?
Fiji Boxing Association director Malakai Veisamasama said Ali?s passing was ?a great loss to the local boxing Community as he was always an inspiration to young people in Fiji who wanted to take up boxing as a sport.?
An article by Swastika Sing said Joy Ali who was known as the ?Golden Boy? of Fiji?s boxing was ?training hard one month before his death, aiming for an international fight.?
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