I worked late shifts at a Land Rover factory but hated it so much it inspired my Olympic dream, says Galal Yafai
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GALAL YAFAI would be so tired from training that he would nod off during his factory shifts - but he never slept on his Olympic dream.
The pint-sized flyweight had to watch older brothers Kal and Gamal win titles in the professional ranks while he worked overnight for Land Rover.
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Galal Yafai won Olympic gold in 2021
Credit: PA
And juggling the exhausting shifts with training almost caused him to throw in the towel on his boxing career - before he got on the Team GB squad.
Yafai, 32, told SunSport: "It was a Land Rover factory in Solihull, they've got a big factory there that build the Land Rovers Discoveries and Defenders.
"So I was working there, delivering the parts and whatnot for like three years in the factory. So it's full time it's proper work, it weren't part time.
"So I kind of had to juggle boxing and work at the same time for three/four years and I actually got to a point where I was going to quit boxing.
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"I just thought, you know what, I'm 22, 23, now, I'm enjoying life. I'm going out and getting paid. I got my apartment with my brother and I was just enjoying life.
"But just the stress of work too, it was getting hard to juggle boxing so luckily I got onto the Great Britain team, just before I decided to leave."
Yafai would train from 5pm, clock in for work at 8pm and finish sometimes at 7am - before doing it all again.
He hated it so much that the boxer was inspired to go to the Olympics - just so he could finally hand in his P45 after sleeping on the job.
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Yafai said: "It was just a nightmare. I'd have to train and go straight to work and do an eight-nine hour shift. I used to dread going into work.
"I remember I used to see my brothers boxing, as pros and think, 'Oh, they're so lucky to get to just box for a living. I have to go to work and I have to train as well.'
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"It was hard training too so I'd have to to box and go straight to work, which was a nightmare, and do an eight hour shift.
"I remember I'd fall asleep on my little buggy, I used to drive a buggy around and I used to fall asleep on there sometimes and some of the gaffers would go mad at me.
"But yeah, I just thought, 'You know what, I need to stick at this because I could do something.' And thank God it worked out."
Yafai packed up his job and became a full-time amateur boxer for Team GB - earning a spot on the 2020 Tokyo team.
And after winning gold, Yafai turned pro a year later with Eddie Hearn and the hopes of replicating older brother Kal - the ex-WBA world champion.
And Yafai made a super-quick start in the paid ranks - boxing in a ten-rounder for the WBC International title in his very first bout.
He said: "Me and my coach thought I was good enough to start off in ten rounders.
I used to drive a buggy around and I used to fall asleep on there sometimes and some of the gaffers would go mad at me.
Galal Yafai
"And Eddie said, 'Well, why not go for an international title?' We were like, 'Brilliant.'
"But I want to get to a world title, so any minor title in between is, yeah, not too bad, I won't put it up on my mantelpiece, but it's nice to have.
"It just so happened to be WBC International and hopefully I'll be fighting for the WBC full title soon."
Yafai returns on Saturday in his home of Birmingham against Francisco Rodriguez Jr, Mexico's former WBO champ.
Awaiting the winner is a shot at unified WBA and WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji.
Yafai said: "I'd expect it, but you never know in boxing. Rodriguez is a top five competitor.
"He's a former champion, he fought the best of the best, so it's not an easy fight. People don't really know him too well but I can't look past him.
"He's a really good fighter and that's the thing nowadays, if people don't know who you're fighting, they don't think they're that good, which is the biggest mistake someone can make because he's a really good fighter but he's just not hugely well known here.
"I'm not looking past him. He's a great fighter and hopefully I can get rid of him Saturday."
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