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Albania's Selaj aims for Tokyo - 19th February 2021
Albania's first and only competitive female boxer, Elsidita Selaj, has her sights set on competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
Around 300 Albanian boxers compete nationally and internationally despite boxing's comparatively recent return to the country. In the 1960s, the sport had been outlawed by Albania’s former dictator, Enver Hoxha, for being too violent.
Selaj's passion for boxing developed as a teenager, but she encountered strong opposition from both the male dominated boxing profession and her own family.
Selaj wouldn’t be deterred and trained daily after school, enlisting the support of trainer Jetmir Kuci, a 9-time Albanian boxing champion. However, Kuci took some persuading since the idea of coaching Selaj challenged his belief that boxing was the domain of men.
Eventually, Selaj won Kuci round, and her determination has also brought success, with knockout victories gaining her prestigious awards.
Ertan Kraja spars with Selaj in training.
Kraja: "At first I was afraid to fight a girl, afraid to hit her too hard but after seeing Elsidita's strength, her training, I got used to it – it's like fighting a man."
Selaj must now overcome the hurdle of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, but she appears unfazed; she's convinced boxing is her calling.
Selaj: "In the beginning for me, boxing was an impossible love that I could never imagine, but now faced with the results, with my will to continue, I think that today boxing is a possible love that belongs entirely to me."
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