Another round of odd bins: Women’s Boxing around the globe!
The Burqa Boxers of Afghanistan!
Afghanistan teenage girls train at the infamous Ghazi Stadium. Photo: Kate Geraghty
My beloved Afghani Women’s Boxing team, coined the Burqa Boxers have hit the news again — this time in the Sydney Morning Herald. These brave young women and their coach continue to defy the odds just by showing up for practice twice a week! As quoted by writer Ben Doughty, Coach Mohammad Sabir Sharifi said, “”We will all work hard, and we will select the best, the strongest and the most talented and we will hope to have one of our girls represent our country at the Olympics.” Here’s hoping that they do. This highly recommended article and pictural essay can be found here.
A win in Mexico!
Irma Sanchez (L) v. Carlota Santos
Irma “Guerita” Sanchez (20-5-1, 5KO’s) was sucessful in her quest for the WBF female flyweight belt against Panamanian Carlota Santos (5-2-4, 4KO’s) with a TKO victory in the seventh round of the bout. With her win, Sanchez becomes the first female Mexican boxer to hold two world championships across two weight divisions. The fight was on the “Puños de ierro” card promoted by Hector Garcia’s HG BOXING at the Coliseo Olimpico de Guadalajara, Jalisco on Saturday night (7/23/2011).
Thank you Detroit Free Press!
Queen Underwood and Tiara Brown @ the Nationals, Photo: Jack Dempsey/AP
Andrecia Wasson
Jo-Ann Barnass writing for the Detroit Free Press has a terrific piece entitled, 2012 Summer Olympics: Three classes are not enough for women’s boxing that is really a must read. Barnass publicizes the fact the three Olympic weight classes (Flyweight-112, Lightweight-132, Middleweight-165) have effectively curtailed the Olympic dreams of many women who are unable to step up or down in weight enough to make one of the sanctioned weight classes. Her case in point is boxer Andrecia Wasson who won the world welterweight title in Barbados last year, but at 152 pounds does not easily fall into either the lightweight or middleweight category. Girlboxing has to agree that the limitation on weight classes is unnecessarily hampering the opportunities for women at the 2012 Olympics and applauds the Detroit Free Press for running this important piece! The link to the piece is here.
Here’s some third round action of Andrecia Wasson at the 2010 Ringside World Championships
Girlboxing 