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Posted by Editor on 14th January 2012 at 12:42 PM
Libya Back in the Ring
Qadhafi banned contact sports in Libya over three decades ago, but since his death the stars of the past are now training the fighters of the future.

Shotlist:
---VOICEOVER---
Boxing, banned in Libya in 1976, is now springing up in numerous sports halls across Libya, since the fall of Qadhafi. Never practised, except in secret, and never shown on tv, Libya will now attempt to join the realms of modern day boxing. With their fighting spirit and a new boxing committee recently formed they are certainly on the right track.
(pause)
---VOICEOVER CONT---
Omar, a championship winner in the late 70s in various countries and now a Tripoli barber has started teaching boxing in this the same gym he used to train in over 3 decades ago. He describes how he felt the day he knew Libya had changed forever, and that his beloved sport could return.
---SOUNDBITE---(ARABIC W/ ENG VO)
"Like someone who was drowning and you save them, this is what I would like to say, I drowned, but the revolution of February 17th, it rescued me."
(Length 17 Secs)
---VOICEOVER---
The former dictator Qadhafi, labelled the sport as barbaric and violent, ordering it to be banished. In an effort to take the violence out of it, Omar tried a different approach.
---SOUNDBITE---(ARABIC W/ ENG VO)
"Boxing as a sport is dangerous so I took out the punches to the face, and instead replaced them by taps to areas of the body."
(Length 18 Secs)
---VOICEOVER---
Even trying to keep the skill of boxing but without the violence, did not go down well.
---SOUNDBITE---(ARABIC W/ ENG VO)
"The dictator was going to close this sports hall because we had practised touch boxing, he said that we were trying to bring boxing back again."
(Length 11 Secs)
---VOICEOVER---
Libya banned all full contact sports. Fast-forward the better part of three decades, and in this one leisure facility, it is as though the sports never left.
Mohammad Hussein, a Tunisian Kick boxer and all round fitness instructor, today leads a class in Kick Boxing.
---SOUNDBITE---(ARABIC W/ ENG VO)
"I teach them martial arts, I teach them self-defence and to make their bodies fit, with a balanced brain."
"Hopefully there will be championships; our problem is just to form an organization. Once we form it we already have champions to participate at competitions."
(Length 28 Secs)
---VOICEOVER---
Abdul and Ahmed, are two young brothers who have taken a very keen interest in the sport.
---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"Because, to defend ourselves, kicking is fun. / But, our father, ok, he wants us to protect ourselves, like if someone is going to … I don't know who,… someone's going to attack me, he wants us to know how to fight. / Yeah, like if he's going to hit, you know how to defend yourself and give it back to them. / Yes, so you can beat him."
---VOICEOVER---
It's difficult for the young brothers to understand that only a short while ago they were not allowed to kick box, but now they're getting so much enjoyment out of it, they would miss it if they couldn't do it.
---UPSOT--- (Off screen)
'But if I go to you, right you are never allowed to do this again would you be upset or would you be …'
---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"Yeah I'd be upset, because its fun. / Yes it is too much fun. It's all kicking and fighting and hitting with hands."
---UPSOT--- (Off screen)
'You just want to hit people!'
---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"I don't want to, I just want to defend myself."
---UPSOT--- (Off screen)
'And you do you just want to hit people or do you want to be able to defend yourself?'
---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"I get angry very easily. / So yeah."
---VOICEOVER---
Sounds like young Ahmed there uses the sport to let off a little steam.
(pause)
---VOICEOVER CONT---
It is certainly going to take fresh thinking and outside help to bring Libya up to date with boxing and other contact sports again.
---SOUNDBITE---(ARABIC W/ ENG VO)
"I hope that we can have meetings, gather all the different international sports people to share ideas and thoughts. We may be lacking ideas on this technical board, which was recently formed, so we will benefit from others experience."
(Length 16 Secs)

---VOICEOVER---
For men like Omar, the thoughts of what if, will haunt him forever and he will never know the true potential of what he might have achieved.
(pause)
---VOICEOVER CONT---
It is now down to the next generation, which these men are now able to train, to take this sport into the future for Libya. These young boys won't even remember the time when the sport they enjoy and love, was banned in their country.
---SIGN OFF---

This is the NATO Channel, reporting from Tripoli.

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