Iraqi Muslim boxer Bushra Al-Hajar deftly jumps into the ring, raises her gloved hands to eye level and stabs her opponent. For Iraq, this is more than an ordinary blow in a sports match, it is a blow to public stereotypes. In the Shia-populated city of Najaf, women's participation in sports is rare, and boxing is generally exceptional. But despite this, 35-year-old coach Bushra Al-Hajar invariably finds students and continues to win medals. In December, she received a gold medal at a tournament in Baghdad.
“At home I have a full gym with mats and a punching bag. My family is very supportive. They are proud that I have reached such heights in sports. "- says the champion. At competitions she performs in a hijab. And in addition to boxing, she does karate. Twice a week, Bushra teaches physical education at a private university in Najaf. She says that her career surprises many in the Iraqi conservative society, but every year more girls come to the sport, and more and more women's sports centers are opening across the country.Bushra Al-Hajar is now coaching Ola Mustafa, a 16-year-old student who dreams of becoming a professional boxer.
According to the President of the Iraqi Boxing Federation, Ali Taklif, women's participation in sports is "new." But there are already 20 women's boxing clubs operating in the country and classes in them are in great demand, according to Arab News.
One of the rising stars of Iraqi women's boxing, 13-year-old Hajar Ghazi, won a silver medal in Baghdad last month. She was born into a family of professional boxers. Her father, Ali's elder brother, and both sisters were engaged in boxing. “Women have the same right to play sports as men. This is completely normal, ”says the girl's father, 55, Hassanein Gazi. He is glad that all his children have followed in his footsteps, but admits that not only competitions, but also simple workouts are much more difficult for girls. For example, a woman's jogging through the streets of the city is considered unacceptable, therefore, for jogging and exercise in the open air, the instructor has to take her students out of town.
bbabo.Net