TRIPOLI: Omar Zlitni holds a decades-old, black-and-white photo of himself as a boxer in his prime, posing in shorts and a training vest before Libya’s then-dictator, Moamer Kadhafi, banned his beloved sport. Boxing was “in his blood”, said the 63-year-old Tripoli resident who proudly keeps the image as his phone’s wallpaper. Under a tin roof, in a Tripoli barn, young fighters spar in a dusty old ring. One in particular stands out among the ringside crowd -- Mountaha Touhami, one of few women boxers in the conservative Muslim country. Having gone on to win several competitions, including regional titles, Bouhwiyah now trains in a modern gym in Tripoli.

Source: Libya Today March 18, 2023 05:37 UTC