The undefeated boxer aligns with Mandela’s belief that sport brings people together
The act of forgiveness and coming together is a trait that has been hard for governing bodies to digest, with countries and cities either at war or still spewing hatred and animosity for one another years after a political disagreement. Great characters often only come once every few generations, such as the legendary Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa. When governments fail to set a good example, funnily enough, sportsmanship is where people go to find inspiration on how to correctly behave and build each other up, with greats such as Jevgenijs “The Hurricane” Aleksejevs, a European professional and undefeated boxer showcasing noteworthy characteristics of a leader.
Jevgenijs “The Hurricane” Aleksejevs is a man of honour and has always attributed much of his extreme capabilities and professionalism, coupled with a broader understanding of society and the importance of a kind and peaceful future, to his idol Mandela. This article aims to shed light on exactly why this person is his role model.
The great Mabida
To understand how noteworthy Mandela is, you must know the depths of pain he had to endure in his lifetime.
He was born as a black Xhosa person in a country that much preferred white skin, so he was at a disadvantage from the get-go. Unfortunately, this is not an overstatement or something meant to shock but a fact. South Africa is one of the countries that experienced the most brutality based on racism that any country has ever seen. Apartheid, the term allocated for the segregation between races, officially began in 1948, when Nelson Mandela was 30 years old but had been stewing for decades beforehand. The world and laws that the people of South Africa knew changed overnight.
Suddenly anyone with skin even just slightly off-white was cast aside and treated poorly. One such person was Nelson Mandela. He fought for the ANC (African National Congress) as a lawyer and someone very interested in bringing equality and peace into the world, a belief system shared by Aleksejevs. His fight for peace landed him in jail on Robben Island at the tip of South Africa for 27 years. Nonetheless, when apartheid finally finished in 1994 and Mandela was elected as the first black president, his first move was to celebrate the race that oppressed him by encouraging and supporting the Rugby World Cup in 1995.
The reason the win by South Africa in the 1995 Rugby World Cup was so important Mandela, was because rugby is a notoriously Afrikaans and white sport (the oppressors during apartheid). As a black president, he wanted to show the nation that if he could support this sport and work alongside previous oppressors after they put him in jail for 27 years, then the rest of the nation could forgive too. It was a sign to show the people that he was there to support every single citizen in a way that benefitted all.
There are many famous Mandela quotes but this is one of the most important as it was said at a pivotal moment in time for South Africa: ”Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments.” This is one of Aleksejev’s favorite Nelson Mandela quotes and one he reminds himself of daily.
Mandela has been a huge inspiration for Aleksejevs, who goes over more of his famous sayings to remind him of what he is ultimately fighting for, not just the championship but fairness, which Mandela says perfectly with ”Who could doubt that sport is a crucial window for the propagation of fair play and justice? After all, fair play is a value that is essential to sport.”
The fight is also for peace, as Mandela said: ”Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, class, caste, or any other social markers of difference.” Just like in politics and sports, it is much easier to try to obliterate the opponent, but the most honest way to win is much different in Mandela’s opinion: ”It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.” He also said: ”Sport laughs in the face of all types of discrimination. Sports is the game of lovers.” It is clear to see that the great Mandela truly knew what he was talking about when it came to politics and sports alike.
The undefeated Aleksejevs
The importance of peace and clear lines is of utmost importance to Aleksejevs: “The fact that people are physically fighting each other outside the boxing ring is unfathomable to my mind. I am absolutely against war of any kind and against all those who try to make history with violence. Only pioneers like Nelson Mandela, who inspire people rather than make them afraid of themselves, deserve to go down in history.”
As a professional boxer, some may think he is interested in fighting or violence, it is not the case. Aleksejevs enjoys the fitness, endurance, mental strength and beauty behind the game of boxing but at the end of the day, the fight stays within the ring and when he walks out of it, he becomes a fighter for something else, namely peace. His passion for equality, kindness and peace transcends all he does and he tries to show this in all of his matches, even the one against Nicolas David Veron, a champion boxer in his own right. The match between these two fighters is set to be one of the decades, with both fighters in their element and showcasing extreme aptitude, capabilities and fitness. Valencia, Spain can look forward to this exceptional facing between two incredible fighters on December 22, 2023.
While most boxers would try to take their opponent down by undermining their style, Aleksejevs shows his character by uplifting, respecting and acknowledging the great fight coming his way, by saying:
”I am facing an Argentinian fighter [Veron] in Valencia. It is going to be a tough fight. He has a powerful punch, especially with his right arm. My ultimate goal is a title fight, for the WBC belt preferably. The International Silver one for example. To find a proper venue so that everything looks nice, and have a go.”
It is clear to see that Aleksejevs surrounds himself with great mentors, his coach Igor Mesmer being one of them, who humbly said: ”Jevgenijs is facing a tough and experienced fighter from Argentina. We are not expecting a walk in the park. We approach this challenge the way we approach any fight like it is a new stage in Jevgenijs’ career. We know that every next fight is the hardest one. Everyone can expect a spectacular fight and a spectacular win for Jevgenijs, who I believe is much stronger [than Veron] in every aspect; we just have to prove this. To show our strong side and expose his weaknesses. We have our game plan as we always do, not just Plan A, but also Plan B and Plan C. I would like Jevgenijs to have at least three fights over the next year and become a belt contender late in 2024. That would be decent, given his record of 14 wins, 8 KOs and no defeats.”
Each round is important: Both in and out of the ring
Aleksejevs is a boxer whose undefeated nature and immense strength could have turned him into an ego-driven boxer but his difficult upbringing and natural sense of greatness born within him have turned him into the exceptional yet humble boxer he is today. Following Mandela’s quotes daily and aligning with Mandela’s stance on the importance of sports bringing people together, this is a huge motivator and goal of the undefeated Aleksejevs.
Just as each round in a boxing match is important, with boxers giving their best at every second, it is much the same in life, with every day being a day to do right by others, to seek solace in the powerful words left behind by incredible mentors and leaders and choosing the do the right thing. This is the mantra that Aleksejevs lives by; he hopes to make a positive change during his time as a professional boxer and leave a thrilling legacy behind.