Assyrian boxer Jonny "Magic" Mansour tours northern Iraq, including hometown Alqosh
The Assyrian athlete was greated as a hero in the birth place of his parents in Assyria.
Assyrian boxer and professional fighter Jonathan Mansour, known professionally as Jonny "Magic" Mansour, from San Diego, California has been touring northern Iraq as part of his official selection to represent Iraq at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Visiting Alqosh, Mansour was greeted by the Alqosh Athletic Club, and as part of his visit, Ishtar TV has produced a 25 minute short documentary of his experiences as he details his travels and story.
During his trip, Mansour posted videos of himself exploring the Assyrian village of Tel Keppe and the Rabban Hormuzd Monastery alongside boxing trainer Ann Najjar. Mansour was also celebrated at the Syriac Heritage Museum in Ankawa with an award in anticipation of his participation in the Olympics.
Mansour was born to Assyrian parents of Chaldean Catholic faith in the year 2000. After developing an interest in boxing at 8 years old, he went on to win the 2023 National Golden Gloves Tournament and has maintained an impressive winning streak of matches. He has held the title of number one featherweight in the USA (132 lbs) for two consecutive years before moving up to dominate at lightweight. He maintains a significant following amongst the 15.000 strong Assyrian community of El Cajon in San Diego.
He is currently one of the only two Assyrian pro fighters, alongside Rocky “Rockman” Salem Somo.
