Sweden’s Ali Zaheer Changezi will compete in the men’s 55kg division when the boxing competition at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games takes place from 7–12 November.
Boxing at Dakar 2026 will be contested across ten weight categories, with five divisions each for men and women.
The six-day competition will feature two sessions per day and form part of the first Olympic sporting event to be staged in Africa.
Among the young boxers preparing to compete is Sweden’s 16-year-old U17 European bronze medallist Ali Zaheer Changezi, known as “Prince” Ali.
His appearance in Dakar represents the latest chapter in a journey that began far from Sweden.
Who is Ali Zaheer Changezi?
Ali grew up in Quetta, Pakistan, alongside his five siblings. His family belongs to the Hazara community, a minority group that has faced significant challenges and persecution in the country.
He began working after school and during school holidays when he was just seven years old, helping his mother, who worked as a teacher, to support their family.
Ali moved to Sweden at the age of 11 and discovered boxing one year later. What began with his first steps inside a boxing gym quickly developed into a passion and an opportunity to compete internationally.
After becoming a Swedish citizen, Ali earned the opportunity to represent his adopted country and carry its blue and yellow colours onto the international stage.
His breakthrough arrived at the U17 European Boxing Championships in Kienbaum, Germany, in December 2025.
Competing in the men’s 54kg category, Ali defeated Israel’s Arik Smorodin and Ukraine’s Andrii Konkoshov to reach the semi-finals. His tournament ended with a narrow 3:2 defeat against Italy’s Francesco Zonile, earning the Swedish boxer a bronze medal.
The result was Sweden’s first medal at the U17 European Championships in six years and the only medal won by a Nordic nation at the competition.
Ali continued his development in March 2026 at the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok, an event designed to give eligible boxers an opportunity to demonstrate the standard required to compete at Dakar 2026.
Moving up to 55kg, he entered the tournament’s largest men’s category, which featured 51 boxers.
Ali opened with a unanimous 5:0 victory over Australia’s Marley Dodd before recording another 5:0 win against Vietnam’s Ha Tam Du Dao. A walkover against Canada’s Lisandro Rebelo took him into the quarter-finals, where his run was ended by Georgia’s Emil Ismailov.
Reaching the last eight in Bangkok strengthened Ali’s case for selection to represent Sweden at the Youth Olympic Games.
His progress continued throughout 2026, with victories at the Nordic Championships and Swedish Junior Championships adding to his growing international experience.
Most recently, Ali joined the Swedish team in Budva during the World Boxing U19 Championships, where he continued his preparations for Dakar through training and sparring.
His development in the ring has been driven by the same resilience and determination that have shaped his life outside it. From working to help support his family as a child in Quetta to preparing to represent Sweden at the first Olympic sporting event held in Africa, Ali has already travelled a considerable distance.
Yet the young boxer remains focused on what comes next.
“I’m incredibly proud to represent Sweden,” Ali said following his U17 European medal success.
“Winning the country’s first medal in six years means a lot to me, but I’m not satisfied. I want to go all the way. Next time, I want the gold medal.”
Dakar 2026 will provide Ali with his biggest international stage so far and another opportunity to measure his progress against leading young boxers from around the world.
