Kurdish boxer: Peshmerga, family inspired me to begin fighting

A Kurdish fighter on Saturday won an amateur boxing championship as well as an “Outstanding Boxer Award” for his performance.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Kurdistan24) – A Kurdish fighter on Saturday won an amateur boxing championship as well as an “Outstanding Boxer Award” for his performance.

Darvon Barwari, a 21-year-old boxer from Nashville, Tennessee, competed in his second amateur fight hosted by Music City Boxing.

Barwari defeated his opponent Dawson Rivers in the second round of a three-round bout via a knockout.

The clinical victory meant the Kurdish boxer won the championship as well as an award for his stand-out performance.

After his fight, Barwari told Kurdistan24 the win was “just another day at the office,” and that he was eager to get back in the boxing ring soon.

“I worked on head movement, speed, and pacing the fight,” he stated. “I came [into the fight] feeling good, not really worried.”

“I am looking to win more fights and get ready for nationals,” the boxer added.

Darvon Barwari holds his trophies after a successful day at the Music City Boxing Classic event in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, April 29, 2017. (Photo: Darvon Barwari)
Darvon Barwari holds his trophies after a successful day at the Music City Boxing Classic event in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, April 29, 2017. (Photo: Darvon Barwari)

The athlete mentioned being a Kurd was a factor in his decision to become a fighter, pointing to the continued heroics of the Peshmerga.

“I think our history [played] a big part,” he said. “We are always fighting for our land, and we fight the evils of the world.”

“My grandpa—who passed away—was a Peshmerga, and that inspired me,” Barwari revealed.

Although he was born in the United States to refugee parents from the Dohuk Province in the Kurdistan Region, the Kurdish boxer said he is proud of his roots.

“Kurdistan to me means strong, hard-working, and relentless,” he said.

Barwari began boxing at the age of 17, looking up to professionals like Mike Tyson, Marvin Hagler, and Rocky Marciano.

He told Kurdistan24 the sport runs in his family as his dad grew up boxing as well.

“Boxing is my life. That’s all I know. It’s changed my life for the better,” the Kurdish prizefighter explained.

“I don’t know where I would be without boxing,” he concluded.

 

Editing by G. H. Renaud