A female Muslim teen boxer from Bradford battled for England at the weekend in a landmark contest to become the country’s first boxer
She is also the first Pakistani Muslim to box for England in this country, The Telegraph And Argus reported.
“I’m over the moon, the result didn’t go our way, but for Alvina Razak to be number three in Britain is great, in only her 4th fight,” said Razak’s head coach at Sedbergh Boxing Club, Peter Cannon.
The 14-year-old Razak struck bronze at the ‘Three Nations Tournament’ where youngsters from England, Scotland and Wales battled against each other.
The competition took place at Barnsley Metrodome and Cannon admitted it was a nice change to be competing in the north.
He said: “We were at the National Championships recently, which was all the way down to Crawley. Razak was at the National Finals too, it’s been a fantastic first season for her. She’s been with us for a long, long time. But there are not many girls of her weight or that are small enough to face her.”
The Muslim girl came up against Scot Billie Marie Baillie in her semi-final bout. But she succumbed to a referee technical decision (RTD) loss. Cannon explained that it came down to Baillie having more height, weight, and experience.
Pint-sized Razak came in at just 33kg but put up a good fight against her Scottish rival who went on to win gold in the Female Under 36kg category.
In appreciation of his young Muslim champion, Cannon said: “Razak couldn’t get to grips with the lass’s reach. She was just too big, too strong. She was there until the end which is great. But, with more experience, she could do it.”
He continued: “We already have plans for next season. She’s already tasted success, so she wants it again. She’s looking to travel to Sweden, her and her sister, for all-female boxing over there.”
“One day she could be in the Olympics, the way she’s progressing,” Cannon cheered Razak.
The annual Schoolboy ‘Three Nations Tournament’ takes place at three select venues across the UK, with the top schoolboy boxers from England, Scotland and Wales having been selected by their national coaches during their respective home nation domestic championships.
Islamic Shari’ah sees our bodies are gifts from Allah, and it teaches Muslims that we’ll be held accountable for how we use them. Thus, a Muslim should exercise, play sports and be able to defend him/herself from aggression which requires mental and physical strength.
The earliest known depiction of boxing comes from ancient Egyptian and Sumerian reliefs in the Muslim countries of Egypt and Iraq from the 3rd millennium BC.
That’s while the earliest evidence of fist fighting with the use of gloves like modern Olympic boxing can be found on Minoan Crete during the Bronze Age between (c. 1500–1400 BC).
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