The burqa boxers are coming. Young women are training in Afghanistan to fight in Islamic dress at the 2012 London Olympics.
Wearing hijabs beneath their headguards and clothes that cover their bodies, 25 female pugilists are preparing for their bouts in gruelling training sessions at Kabul’s Olympic stadium, once the scene of public executions by the Taliban.
The team, whose ages range from 14-25, were recruited by their coach, Fadir Sharify, a former professional boxer. He persuaded the girls’ families that it would not be inappropriate for them to take to the ring.
The 2012 summer Games will be the first time women have been allowed to box under the Olympic banner.
The International Boxing Association (IBA), which regulates the sport, said the women could observe religious dress requirements providing their faces were uncovered so the judges could record the number of punches they received. They must also wear breast guards beneath their outfits.
“At the moment there is nothing preventing women boxers from wearing full Islamic dress. Obviously, religious requirements should be taken into account and we want to be as inclusive as we can,” said an IBA spokesman.
The Afghan team is being sponsored by Oxfam as part of a project designed to promote peace and women’s rights. “In a country ravaged by 30 years of war and run by a conservative male-dominated society, these female boxers are Afghanistan’s most improbable ambassadors for peace,” Oxfam said.
“We are proud to support these athletes who challenge preconceived notions about Afghan women through peacebuilding.”
Mirwais Wardak, who runs Fighting for Peace, the Kabul boxing programme, said the team were challenging stereotypes in Afghanistan about how women should behave.
The women have also gained the support of Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, who lobbied for women’s boxing to be recognised as an official Olympic sport.
“The fact that these women have formed a boxing team in a country where women are routinely harassed for taking part in sport should be applauded,” said Jowell. “Their courage deserves to succeed.”
Other Muslim nations are considering sending female boxers. Egypt has established a women’s boxing team, although only some of them fight wearing hijabs.
Ahmad Nategh-Nouri, an Iranian MP and head of the Iranian Boxing Federation, said the country would begin training a women’s team as soon as suitable clothing could be found.
“So far we have not attempted to establish women’s boxing because of difficulties with their outfits,” he said. “The only impediment has been the sport’s clothes.”