UAE women will participate in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships after the hijab rule
March 27th, 2019 / IBA
The next edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships will start in Bangkok, Thailand from April 16. United Arab Emirates’ developing boxing nation will be represented by two women for the very first time in the history of the tournament.
UAE has never sent any women boxers to any international events. This will be their historical participation and an important milestone to develop women’s boxing in the country.
A robust Gender Equality Program is one of the key messages and long-term strategy of AIBA which is showing rapid successes with Bahrain’s and UAE’ women participation in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships.
The official approval of the Muslim hijab in the boxing events was confirmed in the recent AIBA Executive Committee meeting in Istanbul last February. It supports the region’s female boxers to represent their countries in the international events. President of the Asian Boxing Confederation Mr. Anas Alotaiba was one of the main supporters of the AIBA Gender Equality Program and women’s boxing in the Muslim regions.
UAE’s team attended ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in 2017 with one male boxer. Following their first participation in the elite continental level event their second big effort is to send women boxers to the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships.
United Arab Emirates’ first female hope is 35-year-old Fahima Alfaqee (51kg) who trains in Dubai. Her younger teammate, UAE’s lightweight (60kg) No.1 Hanan Alzeyoudi was born in 1995 and turned 24 earlier this month, she will represent the city of Sharjah and its Police at the upcoming ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships.
Their coach in the corner will be the 38-year-old Mr. Mohamed Al-Shebli who was a well-known international boxer in the recent 12 years and attended several competitions including the 2008 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament. Since his boxing career has finished, he has support the national team of United Arab Emirates as a coach.
