A life dedicated to coaching youngsters will be remembered at a tribute evening for a Samoan boxing coach who died of Covid-19.
The father of five, who lived in Dubai, tested positive in early October and was admitted to hospital when he developed breathing difficulties.
He died on October 5. He had not been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Zack Taumafai, 54, dedicated much of his adult life to coaching boxing and other martial arts, his family said.
The support from the boxing community here has been overwhelming, so many people knew him have all offered their love and help. It shows the kind of man he was
Tee Taumafai,
daughter
“It was the first time I ever heard my dad ask to be taken to the hospital,” said Tee Taumafai, his daughter.
“Dad was a pretty stubborn guy and didn’t like hospitals at all. A couple of weeks earlier he was admitted for food poisoning but managed to leave before he was supposed to because he didn’t want to be there.
“Of course he went straight to the gym.
“Dad was pretty healthy and when he was admitted to hospital for Covid the doctors were surprised at how fit he was for his age."
On December 11 there will be a tribute event held in Taumafai’s name at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Business Bay in Dubai.
The event will feature amateur exhibition fights between boxers coached by Taumafai.
A former professional kickboxer, Taumafai first came to Dubai in 2006 during a stopover from Ghana, where he wanted to establish a combat sports gym.
What started off as one-to-one coaching sessions soon developed into a new life for him in the UAE.
Taumafai started in a small gym, coaching and earning Dh1,500 ($408) a month. The gym grew quickly and it was then he decided to set up on his own.
Ms Taumafai, 33, came to Dubai in 2008 and coached in small community halls and other low-key venues alongside her father.
The rest of the family, three sons and another daughter, came over in 2009 and opened the KO Gym in Dubai Marina. The Taumafais continued to run the centre until 2016.
“Ever since my siblings and I were kids, martial arts were a big part of our lives,” Ms Taumafai said.
“We were practically born in the gym, and came from a big family of fighters. It is in our blood.”
Zack Taumafai was born in Samoa and emigrated to New Zealand as a teenager. He worked in several different industries as a young man, including for Nestle and a fish market, before moving his young family to Australia to begin their schooling.
He began setting up private gyms and coaching when he started his new life in Australia.
During his time in the UAE, Taumafai staged 10 semi-professional and professional bouts and more than 40 corporate boxing and combat events.
Representatives from 146 boxing federations from around the world sent condolences to the family.
“Dad loved teaching the kids how to box, it is what gave him most satisfaction,” his daughter said.
“The discipline was always the most important thing with Dad, he made it clear to us he didn’t want us to use our skills outside the gym.
“We would get into fights in school, and we were not allowed to do what we knew. It was tough, and Mum didn’t like us to compete in the ring, but she was still very supportive.
“Dad had a tough exterior, but inside he was very soft and emotional.
“He welcomed anyone to our family and built this community around him. He made sure they were part of a big family.
“The support from the boxing community here has been overwhelming, so many people knew him and loved him and they have all offered their love and help. It shows the kind of man he was.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (11.30pm)
Saturday Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund, Cologne v Wolfsburg, Arminia Bielefeld v Mainz (6.30pm) Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig (9.30pm)
Sunday Werder Bremen v Stuttgart (6.30pm), Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (9pm)
Monday Hoffenheim v Augsburg (11.30pm)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Draw
Quarter-finals
Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)
RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)
Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Ties to be played August 12-15 in Lisbon
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
