Female Afghan boxer forced to leave Afghanistan amid Taliban death threats
Sep 12, 2021
Doha [Qatar], September 12 : In order to continue her passion for sports, female Afghan lightweight boxing champion Seema Rezai was forced to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban issued death threats to her.
The member of the national female boxing team Rezai told Sputnik that she decided to leave the homeland alone, without her family, as she wanted to continue her boxing training.
"When the Taliban seized Kabul in mid-August, I was at boxing training with my coach. But then some people told the Taliban that there is a girl who trains with a male coach, and they sent me to home a written warning about the need to stop training or continue boxing in the United States, promising to kill if I do not agree to do so," Rezai said.
Rezai departed for Qatar on an evacuation flight and is currently awaiting a visa to the US, where she hopes to pursue her sports career, reported Sputnik.
Rezai began to do boxing professionally at the age of 16. Because of the family's negative attitude towards her hobby, it was her coach that bought her training equipment.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has announced that only women wearing hijab and following Sharia law will have access to education and work.
