Ihab Darwish Al Matbouli, Jordan’s first light heavyweight Olympic boxer was Jordan’s hope for a medal in London olympics in 2012. Although he didn’t win, he became an inspiration for many Jordanians, as well as for Palestinians refugees in Al Baqa’a camp where he comes from. Earning his qualification to the Olympics, after winning several championships, he stood out from other athletes. After his lose, he hoped to train vigorously for Rio 2016. Lack of real support and his struggle to maintain his family affected his training. Working as a Taxi driver to make ends meet, he had several jobs through out the years, to support his wife and three kids.
Coming from a family that breathes boxing, his older brother Faraj Darwish was an Arab champion, who got disqualified for life, after refusing to play with an Israeli boxer in a championship in Turkey. Ihab’s four younger brothers are aspiring boxers, two of them are marked as one of the best in the country.
In early 2014, one of Ihab’s younger brother’s, lost a boxing match during a youth championship in Jordan. Ihab got disqualified for life, that later got revoked, after violently protesting the judge’s verdict after the match. The months when this series was shot was when Ihab’s dreams shattered to train for the next Olympics. He suffered depression and was considering going pro outside Jordan, taking his family with him in an emotional roller coaster.