Sadaf Khadem: 'The problem is boxing, not the hijab – in Iran they say men only' | Donald McRae
21 July 2020 11:00
The 25-year-old is forging a growing reputation in France and dreams of Olympic gold but laments her exile from Iran, where the idea of a woman boxing is frowned uponSadaf Khadem came from the mountains and underground gyms of Tehran to Royan, a seaside town in the south of France, so that she could have the freedom to fight. She came alone. In the salty air of Royan, she respectfully replaced the hijab with a blue headguard and gum shield. Khadem had already pulled on a vest and shorts and boxing boots.Mahyar Monshipour, a former world champion boxer based in France, was her trainer. As a man, who was not her husband, he was not meant to be close to her. But Monshipour wrapped her hands and slipped on the gloves. Khadem’s arms and her legs were bare as she walked to the ring in April 2019 for her first fight as an amateur boxer. Related: Khadijah Mellah: 'I love going to the races, but for my family it has a strange intensity' Related: Isaac Chamberlain: 'I’ve been here before, in a very dark place' Continue readingread full article
