Remembering José Sulaimán

Panel:
Mauricio Sulaimán, WBC President
Claudia Sulaiman
Héctor Sulaimán
Fernando Sulaiman
Lucy Sulaiman
Pepe Sulaiman

Thinking about the life of José Sulaimán is, among other things, remembering the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore who said, “I slept and dreamed that life was joy. I wake up and see that life was service. I served and understood that service was joy.”

Jose Sulaiman lived his entire life following this principle, always championing the well-being of everyone.

José Sulaimán was not only the man who transformed his beloved sport, but also offered and gave a helping hand to all who knew him, and who always had a warm smile and a kind word for everyone. A man who enjoyed a life full of learning, triumphs, challenges, satisfactions, success, struggle, dreams fulfilled, loyalty, love, friendship and unity.

A restless mind that worked tirelessly; that when the arduous routine of the day ended, he remained silent with himself and his thoughts, reflecting not only on the years of love and understanding with his loved ones, his childhood and his youthful times; but also, to the sport to which he dedicated himself body and soul.

Today, his six children took us to the inner sanctum of Don José, to that personal and drawn close part of what he was like as a son, father and husband.

They shared with all of us the greatest heartfelt qualities of boxing’s top leader, his love of serving others; that the greatest teaching he could leave them was to live life with passion and that family is always the most important prize to fight for.

A unique talk between brothers and sisters where between laughter and countless anecdotes they remembered their cherished childhood. Those vacations where Don José turned them into an eternal family photo session, the evenings of eating ice cream, the days of baseball training with his team “Vagabundos…”

“The Sulaimans are boxing. We were born with this sport in our very veins. We cannot complain, my father was a loving man, who taught us about dedication but also about caring, and about service to others. My dad was a simple man, who enjoyed the most exquisite delicacies, but was also just at home with hot dogs. Life and food has its courses. We were so very happy. We lived in my parents’ bed watching television with them and alongside them.

“It was the most normal thing for us to come home from school and see Don King, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson in the living room of the house, waiting for my mom’s delicious food.

“My parents always opened the doors of their home to boxing people. We were, we are and we will forever be SO VERY, VERY LUCKY AND PROUD, to be his children … My dad was a dreamer who believed he could change the world… and so he did! We saw him achieve what some people were convinced was utterly impossible. In so, doing he will always be our supreme inspiration.”

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