Nadine Osman
British-Bangladeshi boxer, Ruqsana Begum, said clinching the WBU flyweight InterContinental in Dhaka will “make a significant difference for the younger generation” of would-be female Asian Muslim boxers.
Ruqsana’s win over home favourite Bangladeshi Tanjila Tanjila was her first in Bangladesh and her third in a row since making the switch from kickboxing to professional boxing in 2018.
The 39-year-old former world kickboxing atomweight Muay Thai champion competed in one of seven bouts at the Beximco-XBC Fight Night on March 21.
It was the first time Bangladesh hosted a professional WBU Female InterContinental Championship.
Initially, Tanjila, 20 years Ruqsana’s junior, showed no difficulty, making the Bethnal Green native uncomfortable.
Throughout the first four rounds, Ruqsana appeared more observant, while Tanjila appeared aggressive, throwing consecutive punches.
The following rounds saw Ruqsana shed her defensive shell, and in the final two rounds, she showed less mercy to win the bout narrowly. “I am really proud of myself for not giving up and constantly persisting even with setbacks along the way,” Ruqsana told The Muslim News.
Speaking about her decision to switch from kickboxing to boxing, she said, “My younger brother said, ‘We have Amir Khan who is a role model for Asian boys. The girls have nobody,’ this is when I decided to try and become a champion in boxing too, because it’s about representation in sport.”
Ruqsana said she initially thought the switch between the two sports involved “transferable skills.” However, said Ruqsana, she quickly realised that it’s a completely different sport. “The timing, the physical aspect, and the rhythm are different. But, I felt I had, to try.”
Ruqsana Begum (left) celebrates her victory.(Photo courtesy of Ruqsana Begum)
