Albania’s Selaj aims for Tokyo - 19th February 2021

Aspiring Albanian boxer Elsidita Selaj is reaching for the stars, aiming to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Boxing was formerly prohibited in Albania, having been deemed too violent in the 1960s by dictator Enver Hoxha.

Now, one of around 300 Albanian boxers rising to fame in a pursuit which is something of a newcomer to the nation’s sporting landscape, the country’s only woman boxer already has a haul of prestigious awards under her belt.

Entering the ring at just 15, Selaj set out to be taken seriously as a woman boxer, showing unflinching commitment to an arduous, after school training regime and seeking the support of Albanian boxing legend and 9-time champion, Jetmir Kuci.

Having initially balked at the prospect of training Selaj in a sport he believed was strictly the preserve of men, Kuci was eventually won over by her perseverance.

Subsequently, Selaj has made great strides, proceeding to win tournaments throughout the world.

Her sparring partner, Ertan Kraja, has had to fight his own prejudices.

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’s talents and indomitable spirit make her a force to be reckoned with, and she is resolute in her mission to become an Olympic boxer.

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."