Daily News E-dition

Woman trains men to box in rural Egypt

TWICE a week in a small gym room in the Egyptian city of Beni Suef, 36-yearold Sabah Saqr coaches young men and boys to box.

A woman coaching men may not be that unusual in the capital, but in Beni Suef, which lies 100km south of Cairo in an agricultural area, tradition often limits women’s roles.

“I started boxing by accident,” said Saqr, who was spotted by a coach impressed by her strength and energy. “I didn’t use to like it, because I was worried about my face, about being hit.”

Yet Saqr began to do well, winning several championships and more than 10 medals before starting to coach two years ago. Now a working mother with one son, she trains about 20 men between the ages of 18 and 30.

“At first, this situation wasn’t accepted. As you know, in Upper (southern) Egypt, it was hard (to coach) in sports like boxing,” said Saqr. “In addition the fact that it is a girl doing the training made it a bit harder.”

She said her serious approach helped her gain respect and trust.

“For a woman to train a man isn’t a very good thing in Upper Egypt,” said Amr Salah Eldin, who trains with Saqr after overcoming his initial reluctance.

BR MONEY

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2021-06-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dailynews.pressreader.com/article/281895891192198

African News Agency