USA: UKRAINIAN-BORN ORTHODOX JEW DMITRIY SLITA GAINING RECOGNITION IN WORLD OF AMERICAN BOXING.

Record ID: 640792

  • Title: USA: UKRAINIAN-BORN ORTHODOX JEW DMITRIY SLITA GAINING RECOGNITION IN WORLD OF AMERICAN BOXING.
  • Date: 14th November 2002
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 9, 2002) (REUTERS) SALITA HITTING BAG AT THE STARRETT CITY GYM SALITA TAKING RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION FROM RABBI SALITA SPARRING AT STARRETT CITY GYM. SHOT OF TRAINER JIMMY O'PHARROW, SALITA'S TRAINER WITH PAN TO MORE SPARING." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DMITRIY SALITA SAYING "It's six days of work and one day of rest so on that day of rest there can be no work, no world title shots, no unification bouts, nothing, no millions of dollars. That day is set for what it's set for." DMITRIY SALITA WITH RABBI SCHNEERSON (SOUNDBITE) (English) RABBI MENACHEM MENDEL SCHNEERSON SAYING "He can serve God by boxing as long as its permitted under Jewish law. He as a Jew cannot do anything like this on shabbos therefore he wouldn't be serving God if he did it on shabbos (the sabbath) he'd be defeating the purpose. I would have to convince him as a Rabbi but thank god we've reached a point where I don't have to convince him what comes first is God's law and then comes the career and then the career can also be God's will."
  • Embargoed: 29th November 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK AND LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA4N6ZGSMFL6FDYGPIW24M733GM
  • Story Text: Boxer Dmitriy Salita, a Ukrainian-born Orthodox Jew, is undefeated in seven fights as a professional and the 20 year-old fighter is gaining attention in the United States as a "kid who looks Russian, prays Jewish and fights black", according to his manager.
    In the world of American boxing, junior welterweight Dmitriy Salita is a bit out of the ordinary. In a sport dominated primarily by African-Americans and Hispanics, Salita, a Ukrainian immigrant, who prays daily and refrains from fighting or training on the Sabbath, is a standout. His religious conviction has forced him to turn down important bouts due to their Friday night scheduling.
    "It's six days of work and one day of rest so on that day of rest there can be no work, no world title shots, no unification bouts, nothing, no millions of dollars," says Salita.
    A Golden Gloves champion, Salita trains at the predominately black Starrett City Boxing Club with the hip-hop sounds of Nellie, Tu Pac Shakur and DMX reverberating off the walls.
    Salita's family emigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union where a pervasive anti-semitism kept many Jews from practising their faith. Most dropped religious observance altogether in order to avoid difficulty in getting employment or advancement at existing jobs. Like many family's who left during that time, The Lekhtmans (Salita uses his mother surname) were not particularly devout but became so only after leaving the country. Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, Salita's spiritual advisor says his young charge has come a long way in his religious instruction.
    "He can serve God by boxing as long as its permitted under Jewish law. He, as a Jew, cannot do anything like this on Shabbos (the Sabbath) therefore he wouldn't be serving God if he did it on shabbos he'd be defeating the purpose. I would have to convince him as a Rabbi but thank God we've reached a point where I don't have to convince him what comes first is Gods law and then comes the career and then the career can also be God's will."
    Salita's boxing prowess was an evolution in survival both in the Ukraine, where as a schoolboy he fought with other kids who taunted him for being Jewish and later in the United States where his accent and cheap Soviet-era clothing in the first year of his arrival made him a particularly easy target for his tough New York City classmates. In Odessa, Salita's father was determined that his son be able to defend himself and sent him off to karate lessons. In the US, the young Dmitriy transitioned to boxing under the advice of his older brother Misha who felt it offered more opportunity.
    Under trainer Jimmy O'Pharrow, Salita was transformed from a traditional stand up European-style boxer to the more American-style bob and weave fighter. Opponents expecting an easy fight with the small "white kid" were introduced, sometimes to their sudden peril, to his quickness and power.
    "God gave him skills and all he has to do is improve on his skills and take what was in him that's bad and give him some good stuff...so this is what's going on now and right now he can beat a lot of fellows that are 10 round fighters," says his trainer Jimmy O'Pharrow.
    Salita's next fight is will take place this Saturday after sundown in Las Vegas.
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