She’s just 20, but Dona Mohammed al Ghamdi is already making a name for herself.
Congratulations are in order for one young Saudi woman who’s just taken out an international boxing competition held in Jordan over the weekend.
Twenty-year-old Dana Mohammed al Ghamdi took up the sport when she finished school as a way to improve her overall health and fitness.
Four years and five medals on, she’s become the most successful female boxer to ever emerge from Saudi Arabia.
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Al Ghamdi won the International Boxing Competition held in the Jordanian area of Balqa on Friday, Al Arabiya reports. She competed against fighters from Norway, Germany, Palestine and the UAE, among other nations.
The boxer hopes to open a boxing gym for women in her homeland, she told Al Arabiya in October. Al Ghamdi had to travel to Jordan to get her start in boxing.
“I went to a gym there and signed up to learn boxing. I liked it and after nine months, the coach advised me to become a professional,” she said.
With the support of her parents, and coach Ahmad Foqaha, Al Ghamdi hopes to help other women find the strength she has in the sport.
“They helped me resume my journey when they saw how passionate and successful I was in this field,” the boxer said of her family’s support.
Al Ghamdi told Al Arabiya that it’s not about personal glory.
“All I care about is representing the kingdom. My message is that Saudi women can represent their country in all international arenas,” she said.
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The young boxer’s rise comes as the position of women in the kingdom goes through a period of rapid change.
The moves come as part of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious post-oil economic plan which aims to make Saudi a more modern, tourist-friendly destination.
Images: Dona Mohammed al Ghamdi
