For the Yafai brothers, winning is a family affair
Britain’s Galal Yafai is not only a member of a wider boxing dynasty, but he is now a gold medal Olympic champion. Finishing at 4-1 against Carlo Paalam of the Philippines, Yafai looked visibly stunned as he spoke to his brother via zoom.
Kal and Gamal Yafai are at the top of their fields, with both having previously competed in the Olympics. While Kal won a silver medal at the 2010 European Championships and Gamal a bronze in the same year, their youngest brother smashed expectations and came home with the highest Olympic honour on Saturday morning.
My lil brothers Olympic champion @galalyafai yesssssssss 🥇❤️ pic.twitter.com/fW69pWeXmd
— Gamal Yafai (@Gamal_yafai) August 7, 2021
“My mum was always going mad – ‘take your gloves off, stop hitting your little brother’,” he told the BBC pre-fight.
“We were fighting every day in the sitting room with gloves on – those two started me off.”
But his Olympic journey was never an easy one.
“I was grafting, picking up boxes, dreaming of being at an Olympic Games. I was doing the rubbish, delivering parts, just a skivvy job, really,” he told the BBC.
Galal competed in Rio De Janeiro in 2016, where he lost in the last 16, before winning a European silver at super-flyweight in 2017 and then Commonwealth gold in the same category at the 2018 Games.
When your brother is an Olympic champion… 🥇
A little surprise for Galal Yafai! 😭
Watch: https://t.co/BR6XyN99XJ
📲 Live on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer#bbcolympics #tokyo2020 https://t.co/MbvZH1OoqB
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 7, 2021
But after the match, with his gold medal swinging from his neck, the BBC treated Galal to a video conversation with his brother Kal. The pair looked ecstatic to see one another, but have reportedly been FaceTiming a lot throughout Galal’s Olympic campaign.
“Yo, I’m so proud,” smiled the eldest of the brothers.
“How did I box?” Galal asks, apparently forgetting that a gold medal is hanging around his neck.
His brother could not sing his praises any louder. But in the understatement of the century, Galal smiles, “Olympic champion, mad innit.”
Alhumdililah!!! My brother @galalyafai Olympic champion!!! I’m lost for words!!! Olympic champion!!!! Olympic champion!!!!
— Kal Yafai (@iam_yafai) August 7, 2021
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