Interestingly this is the blurb from UNICEF incase those reading had missed it last year:
www.unicef.org/algeria/en/stories/top-female-boxer-imane-khelif-dreams-gold-inspire-young-people
When Imane Khelif, 24, one of Algeria’s top female boxers is asked what achievements she is most proud of, she says, “It’s being able to overcome the obstacles in my life.”
Imane recalls how at 16 she managed to excel in football in her rural village in Tiaret in western Algeria despite football not being seen as a game fit for girls. Moreover, the boys in her village felt threatened and picked fights with her. Ironically it was her ability to dodge the boys’ punches that got her into boxing.
Yet taking up boxing proved even more of an obstacle for her than football. It meant travelling for training each week to the next village, 10 kilometres away, which also meant money for bus fare. She was unable to ask her father who, besides being away working in the Sahara desert as a welder, did not approve of boxing for girls. To raise money for transport, Imane sold scrap metal for recycling and her mother sold couscous. Together they were able to afford the bus to the town for Imane to have regular boxing training sessions.
Three years later, following long training hours every week, and at 19 years of age, Imane came 17th at the 2018 World Championships in New Delhi and then represented Algeria at the 2019 World Championships in Russia, where she came 33rd. Now she is preparing for the summer Olympics Games in France. “I started with nothing and now I have everything,” says Imane, in an interview in the UNICEF office in the capital, Algiers. “Both my parents come to support me. They are my biggest fans,” she says, a large charming smile lighting up her face.
Imane stresses how important sport is in a country like Algeria where opportunities for girls in sport could be limited (instead of restriction) particularly in villages and where overweight and obesity are becoming a serious public health challenge, particularly for women. Algeria has an obesity rate of 22 per cent and is among the top 20 countries in the world that have high rates of obesity. About 12.8 per cent of children under the age of 5 are overweight, and it is predicted that in 2030, 46 per cent of adult Algerians will be obese if no interventions are put in place to reverse the trend. “Many parents are unaware of the advantages of sport, and how it can improve not only your physical fitness but also your mental wellbeing,” adds Imane.
Yet Imane is not just driven to make a difference in her own life, but also for other Algerians. Her new role as UNICEF national ambassador, which she officially took up on 31 January, gives her the chance to do that. UNICEF Representative in Algeria, Katarina Johansson, on appointing Imane as an ambassador says, “We feel honored that Imane has accepted to be an ambassador for us. She is already a great role model for young people to get involved in sports in Algeria, and she can now extend her influence to push forward the child rights agenda.”
On her part, Imane says, “I am deeply honored to be an ambassador for UNICEF. My message to young people is to follow your dreams. Don’t let obstacles come in your way, resist any obstacles and overcome them. My dream is to win a gold medal. If I win, mothers and fathers can see how far their children can go. I particularly want to inspire girls and children who are disadvantaged in Algeria.”