GAINING GROUND Bushra al-Hajjar, a 35-year-old Iraqi boxing instructor, is pictured during a training session at the Islamic University in Najaf on Dec. 14, 2021. PHOTO BY QASSEM AL-KAABI/AFPNAJAF, Iraq: Iraqi boxer Bushra al-Hajjar jumps into the ring, gloves raised to eye level, and strikes out at her sparring partner. In Iraq's Shiite Muslim holy city of Najaf, the sight of a women's boxing hall is unusual but, like others here, the 35-year-old boxing instructor is fighting deeply-ingrained taboos. Iraqi boxing federation president Ali Taklif acknowledges that Iraqi women engaging in the sport is a "recent phenomenon", but says it is gaining ground. "There is a lot of demand from females wanting to join," he said, adding that Iraq now has some 20 women's boxing clubs.

Source: Manila Times January 07, 2022 04:14 UTC