First women’s boxing club opens in Gaza – ‘Before we trained in a small garage’

To unique club boxing for girls at Gauze15-year-old Farah Abu Al-Komsan practices her moves with other girls training under coach Osama Ayoub at Palestinian Boxing Center.

Since taking up the sport at the age of nine, Farah has felt she has found an outlet from the daily stress of life in Gaza, a narrow strip of land home to some 2.3 million Palestinians cut off from Israel and neighboring Egypt.

“Before we practiced in a small garage. Now we train following all the rules and banish bad energy,” said the 15-year-old girl, in first boxing center for women in Gaza.

Six years ago, as reported by APE-MPE, Ayub started with two girls. As others expressed interest, he moved out of the garage and began training on the beach or in rented spaces before moving to the new venue.

“The girls are ready. I have been training them hard for five years,” Ayub said. “We lead by example.”

Now around 40 girls train at the centre, defying prejudice in an area where boxing is traditionally considered a male sport.

“Some people were saying to me, ‘Why boxing, what’s in it for you, go and learn something girly,'” Farah said. “I get a lot from boxing and today my ambition is to represent the Palestinian people and take part in world championships.”