Melanie Swan
The Dubai-based Lii Schacht is a doctor of naprapathy and a personal trainer at Scandinavian Health & Performance in Jumeirah Lakes Towers – and she’s also a boxer. Schacht, 29, was Sweden’s national champion until 2009 and is now using her skills to help women in the UAE to follow in her footsteps.
Schacht grew up with an elder brother and father who were both black belts in judo and recreational boxers, but it was only after she turned 18 that she became interested in boxing.
“I was playing around with some classes, training with my father’s friends who used to box, but it really changed when I moved to Stockholm at the age of 23,” says Schacht. That was when she met the Swedish professional fighter Tonton Semakala, who took her under his wing.
“From that day on, I was at the gym every day. Three months later, I had my first fight, which was pretty quick – it usually takes at least a year before you’re ready to fight,” she says.
Schacht went on to participate in 35 bouts in the next few years, taking the national title. At the same time, she was also studying for her degree in naprapathy, a blend of physiotherapy and chiropractic, at the Scandinavian College of Manual Medicine. Training twice daily, she said it actually helped keep her focused on her studies.
“I could disconnect from school when I was training and think of something else,” she explains, adding that it also helped her deal with being away from home. “In the gym, you have your family. My trainer was like a second father.”
In the UAE, one of the women Schacht is training is the British-born Dubai resident Lisa Redman. The 33-year-old, who trained in muay Thai for 10 years, says she has only two fights behind her – boxing and muay Thai – but never really enjoyed boxing until she started training with Schacht in August this year.
“I never thought I’d say this, but now, I think, I actually prefer boxing to muay Thai,” she admits. “It’s amazing what a difference a good coach can make.”
Schacht says that women’s interest in boxing in the UAE is encouraging.
“A lot of girls here are into boxing and fighting, more than I expected, but there aren’t really the tools for them here,” she says. “It’s fun to be part of this while it’s young and growing. There’s a totally different approach to it in the UAE and more financial support now, with people sponsoring fighters just for fun because it’s something they want to be a part of.”
Schacht says fight night always gets her excited.
“Just the smell of the gym makes me feel like I’m preparing for my first fight again,” she says. “When you stop, there’s a part of you that’s missing. Through Lisa, I get that feeling of fighting again.”
Schacht believes that women’s approach to the sport is different from men’s, with more focus on technique than brute force. Psychology also plays a big part.
“It’s a male-dominated world, but I think it’s easier for a female coach to empathise with a fighter having a down day and to motivate her. Girls need more praise, which men don’t really understand. Girls need that extra mental support.”
• Lii Schacht can be contacted at liischacht@hotmail.com
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Oppenheimer
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