Young girls hold first ever ALL GIRLS boxing camp in Pakistan
Young Pakistani girls are making history as the first set of ladies to hold an all-female boxing camp in Lyari neighborhood of Pakistan.
Ranging from the ages of 8 and 17, these aspiring boxers train daily after school at Pak Shaheen Boxing Club where they’ve never had an all girls training camp before. These girls are defying all odds. According to NBC News:
It was just last year that Pakistani women competed in the South Asian Games, before they trained as boxers in small numbers. During the week, the girls, go to the club after school to practice their jabs, hooks and upper cuts for hours in the hope of one day bringing a medal home to Pakistan. Everyday before practice the girls line up against a cement wall, touch their hands to their faces and do a prayer. In October, the Sindh Boxing Association organized a camp for female boxers in Karachi, the first time that a government-supported event for women in the sport was held in the country, according to media reports.
According to the article written by NBC News, one of the girls approached the head trainer and founder of the boxing gym, Younus Qambrani, and asked him why no girls train there. Qambrani was moved by this. The young girl told him, “No one teaches us how to defend ourselves.”
A 15 year old girl by the name of Urooj said, ”Inshallah, I will become an international boxer. I will make Pakistan’s name famous.”
British Boxer, Amir Khan, who is currently set to fight Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on May 7th, is also of Pakistani decent and has become a successful fixture to the Pakistani community from his accomplishments in the boxing community to the philanthropy work he does worldwide. Perhaps we will see a woman hold the flag high one day for the community she’s so proud to call home.
To see more Photos and read the NBC News article click here:
– Michelle Joy Phelps/ @MichellePhelps
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