Busby mum Malakay Moukyaber wins Australian super welterweight title
Australian super welterweight women’s champion Malakay Moukyaber says wearing a hijab in the boxing ring makes no difference — she’s just as capable and willing as the next person. The single mum, who dedicated her latest title to her son, says she feels ‘alive’ in the ring.
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Australian super welterweight women’s champion Malakay Moukyaber says wearing a hijab in the boxing ring makes no difference — she’s just as capable and willing as the next person.
The 31-year-old single mother from Busby proved that when she faced her West Australian opponent Donna Sadler in Condell Park last month in a fight for the national championship title.
“When I walked into the ring, I was ready for it. I felt strong,” she said.
The former public servant turned professional boxer dedicated her win to her youngest son Jibril, who was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of one.
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Now eight, Jibril is in remission and couldn’t be prouder of his mum’s achievements.
Ms Moukyaber turned to boxing two years ago to find “a way out” of the feelings of depression and frustration that consumed her after her son’s diagnosis and treatment.
“It’s a way of me coping and when I cop the punches it makes me feel alive. The pain makes me feel alive. It’s raw,” she said.
“I’ve always wanted to box. I was always unhealthy and a bit overweight, so I just came in and said I wanted to get healthy.”
The Australian-Lebanese boxer said her initial training sessions were so “overwhelming” and “intense” she often felt like vomiting — but her willpower was strong.
“If I put something in my head, I have to achieve it. I’m mentally strong so I don’t break easily.”
Having only transitioned from amateur to professional boxing last year, her victory in March was an emotional moment, fulfilling her son’s dream of seeing his mum win a belt.
“I broke down crying in the ring. It was a very emotional time for me because I worked so hard for it,” she said.
Training at Final Round Gym in Prestons, where Muslim women are encouraged to participate, Ms Moukyaber hopes to attract more sponsors to help further her career and has inspired a new generation of women to take up boxing.
She said wearing a scarf in the ring had encouraged other Muslim women to gain the confidence to pursue boxing too.
“It’s culturally sensitive, but by me wearing the scarf it doesn’t change anything. You can still achieve anything you want to.
“I advise every woman to come into the sport. Female boxing is on the rise.”
Ms Moukyaber said she would like to see more Muslim women represented at an elite level in sports, pointing to recent changes to the International Boxing Association’s guidelines, which now enable female boxers to wear hijabs at international competitions, as a major development in boxing.