National Network for Equitable Library Service

At the age of three, Arthur Biyarslanov fled with his family from the war-ravaged frontier of Chechnya. Narrowly escaping bullets and a bomb that destroyed the car in front of his family, Arthur and his brother ran to the border and forded a freezing river to safety. He became a refugee first in Azerbaijan, and ultimately in Canada. In spite of these difficult experiences, and the trials that confront any child refugee in strange lands, Arthur thrived on the discipline and camaraderie of sport, taking up first competitive soccer and then boxing. Years of dedication and discipline have made him into a champion boxer at age 20, winning the first Pan Am Games gold medal in boxing for Canada in 40 years in 2015 and qualifying for the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Written from extensive interviews with Arthur and his family, Next Round is the story of Arthur's journey from frightened little boy to confident soccer player and eventually to a world-class amateur boxer.