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In the 1960s, Azzouz Oubaali and his wife Milouda left Morocco to settle down in France, most precisely in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Originally from a small village near Taroundant, Oubaali worked in a coal mine to provide for his family.
During the summer, he worked as a chauffeur, traveling back and forth between Morocco and France. Oubaali's father had eighteen children, thirteen boys and five girls.
Just like Nordine, all of them were into boxing. Moussa and Ali were the most famous Oubaali brothers for the competitions they won in boxing. But the family's happiness is always greater when Nordine wins. Indeed, in January he won the World Boxing Council bantamweight world championship.
A family's dream
Born on August the 4th, 1986, in Lens (Pas-de-Calais), Nordine is the thirteenth child of his boxing-loving family. He was interested in his brothers' ability to fight and at the age of eight he got into the sport. At the age of ten, his mother predicted that he would realize his dream in the United States.
Today, he is a world boxing champion and coach in Bagnolet (Seine-Saint-Denis, Ile-de-France). Nordine lost his father in 2000, the latter was buried in Morocco. His childhood dream became part of his life goals.
His first international victory took place in 2007 after winning a bronze medal at the World Amateur Boxing Championship in Chicago. A year later, he took part to the Beijing Olympics but left the competition after he lost due to a jury decision.
He debuted his professional career in 2014 in the bantamweight category, crowned champion of France in 2015. «My first professional fight was held in Marrakech», he recalls.
In his professional career, from 2014 to 2019, he won his 15 fights, 11 of which by KO. Most of his fights took place in France.
«My father liked this sport and my brothers were also boxing aficionados, starting with Moussa and Ali who put me in this sport at a young age», he said.
«To know where we are going, we need to know where we come from»
Nordine recalls that his brother Ali «had a professional career in boxing but did not have the chance, like [him], to shine». «At the end of the day, the ones with the best entourage are the most successful», he explained, before saying that Ali «wants the best» for him, «does the best» and remains «sincere» with him.
«The story is beautiful, because today, as a family, we managed to win the most meaningful belts. I am therefore the first Frenchman and the first Moroccan national too win this title and I am proud of it».
«To me Morocco also refers to the values that my parents taught me, such as courage, hard work and commitment. They themselves inherited these values from their own parents and have transferred them to us. All of this has resulted in me achieving my dream of becoming world champion», the French-Moroccan boxer explains.
«To know where we are going, we need to know where we come from», he says. «My father came to France to work in the mines. He comes from Morocco, this gave me strength and determination».
A flag-bearer with two flags
Nordine especially recalls the beginnings of his career. «It was difficult to find fights and boxers, and we also had to pay for everything on our own», he says, before admitting that «boxing is a complicated environment» which is gaining traction and audience again. Wisely, he adds that «in life, one must be patient and never give up on one's goals».
The world champion also lauds the fact that there are «good boxers in Morocco», insisting on the need to provide «the necessary infrastructure, propose a career plan and bring them to the top». He uses as an example «Mohamed Rabii, with whom the Moroccan youth identify and who has managed to gain a medal at the Olympic Games and become world amateur champion».
Following this victory, Nordine Oubaali intends to defend his title, in France or in Morocco and «show young Moroccans that everything is possible and that you just have to want it and give yourself the means to do it».
«The boxer is also planning to win other belts», while «unifying and carrying the flags of the two nations». He explains that he lacks words to describe the message that King Mohammed VI sent him in January. «It gives me an immense sense of pride to have been congratulated by the King», he concludes.
