Iran’s first woman boxer Sadaf Khadem successfully defeated her French opponent Anne Chauvin in a three-round amateur match on April 13 in the city of Royan in western France.
Khadem lost the first round to her more experienced French opponent, but fought back and took the next two rounds to win the match.
Khadem did not wear a hijab during her match in France but competed in red trunks and a green jersey which are the colors of the Iranian flag.
Khadem praised her opponent Ms. Chauvin afterward and said: “This match had two winners. We were both victorious.”
Khadem dedicated her victory to all women and everyone who fights for their country. She also urged young people to pursue their dreams and never give up.
Ms. Khadem is 24 years old and has been training in France where the boxing federation has awarded her a license to compete in amateur tournaments.
Khadem’s French-Iranian coach Mahyar Monshipour was the World Boxing Association’s super bantamweight champion between 2003 and 2006. The two met on social media two years ago while Monshipour was conducting a series of boxing training classes in Iran.
[Translated from Persian by Fardine Hamidi]
