Albania’s first female boxer - 19th February 2021

Elsidita Selaj is an Albanian boxer. She is training for the Tokyo Olympics.

Boxing is a new sport in Albania. Before Selaj became a boxer, all the boxers had been men.

At 15, Selaj decided to start boxing. She trained in the gym every day after school. Her decision made her parents unhappy. They thought boxing was an unusual sport for a girl.

It was difficult for Selaj to find a trainer because she is a woman. Then, she met Jetmir Kuci, a famous Albanian boxing champion, who agreed to be her trainer.

Selaj trained hard and entered competitions. Her many wins got her a number of medals, and her family feels extremely proud of her.

Ertan Kraja is one of Selaj’s boxing partners. Fighting her was difficult for him.

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."

A place at the Tokyo Olympics requires serious training. But Selaj loves her sport and feels confident.

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."