Iraqi boxer Julius “JuJu” Ballo, of Chaldean descent, featured in an illustrative design highlighting his career and sporting ambitions. Image rights: AI-generated illustrative design created for Ishtar TV – Ishtartv.com. Not an actual photograph.

The Iraqi boxer of Chaldean descent, who won gold at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, has chosen to represent Iraq at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with hopes of achieving an Olympic breakthrough that has eluded the country since 1960.

California – Ishtar TV

Young boxer Julius “JuJu” Ballo, born in the United States to an Iraqi Chaldean-American family, is entering a new chapter in his sporting career after choosing to represent Iraq at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. His decision has raised hopes that he could become one of the athletes capable of bringing Iraqi boxing back into the Olympic spotlight.

Ballo, 23, has built his sporting career in California. He began boxing at the age of three and went on to achieve notable success in amateur competitions before turning professional, where he has maintained an unbeaten record.

From California to the International Boxing Stage

Julius Ballo was born on April 20, 2003, and grew up in East San Diego County, California. He comes from an Iraqi Chaldean-American family.

He began boxing at a very young age and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent, which led him to compete in national and international tournaments. He subsequently emerged as one of the leading young American boxers in the featherweight division.

According to his biography published on his official website, Ballo won the USA Elite National Boxing Championships twice. He also claimed the gold medal at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games and received the USA Boxing Youth Boxer of the Year award that same year.

In 2024, he won first place at the USA National Golden Gloves Championships. He concluded his amateur career with a record of approximately 51 wins and eight losses.

An Unbeaten Professional Record

Ballo turned professional in 2025 and signed with Top Rank, one of the world's leading boxing promotion companies.

As of October 2026, he has recorded five consecutive professional victories without a defeat. His wins include a third-round technical knockout victory over boxer Carlos Torres in a bout held in Long Beach, California, on October 10, 2026.

Competing in the featherweight division, Ballo is known by his nickname “JuJu”. His boxing style is built around speed, fitness and the ability to read and anticipate his opponents' movements in the ring.

According to Top Rank, his professional record stands at five wins and no losses, including one victory by knockout, marking a promising start to his professional career.

His Father's Dream Leads Him to Represent Iraq

Ballo's decision to represent Iraq is rooted not only in his family heritage but also in a personal story involving his father, Yasser Ballo.

His father left Iraq for California in 1991 after being unable to fulfil his ambition of pursuing a professional boxing career in his homeland.

He encouraged his son to take up boxing from an early age and played an important role in developing his talent and supporting him throughout his sporting journey. Today, JuJu has an opportunity to pursue the dream his father was unable to achieve.

According to a report published by the UAE newspaper Al Khaleej on October 30, 2026, Ballo's decision to represent Iraq reflects his desire to achieve a sporting milestone for his family's homeland and compete for an Olympic medal at the Los Angeles Games.

Iraq Awaits Its Second Olympic Medal

Ballo's ambitions carry particular significance for Iraqi sport, which has won only one medal in the country's history of participation in the Summer Olympic Games.

Iraqi weightlifter Abdul Wahid Aziz won the bronze medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. That achievement remains Iraq's only Olympic medal to date.

More than six decades later, Iraqi sports fans are looking to a new generation of athletes capable of competing at the highest international level. JuJu Ballo is among the athletes raising hopes of a distinguished Iraqi presence at the 2028 Olympics.

Olympic Qualification Still Lies Ahead

Despite his unbeaten professional record and achievements in amateur boxing, competing at the Los Angeles Olympics is not guaranteed simply by expressing the intention to represent Iraq.

Ballo must complete the required sporting and administrative procedures, comply with the Olympic boxing qualification regulations and take part in the qualifying competitions that will determine which boxers secure places at the Games.

The coming stage will be crucial in determining whether he can successfully move from his professional career into the Olympic pathway under the applicable regulations, enabling him to officially represent Iraq.

A Source of Pride for the Chaldean and Iraqi Communities Abroad

JuJu Ballo has attracted attention among Iraqi and Chaldean communities in the United States, particularly in the San Diego area, where he grew up and trained. His connection to his Iraqi roots gives his sporting journey a significance that extends beyond competition.

His choice to represent Iraq is also an opportunity to highlight the presence and contributions of members of the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian people abroad in sports and cultural life, while strengthening the connection of younger generations with the homeland of their ancestors.

With his achievements in amateur competitions and a promising start to his professional career, JuJu hopes that the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will become a defining milestone in his sporting life, allowing him to turn his father's dream and his own ambitions into an achievement that carries Iraq's name onto the world stage.