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. But the sight of so many young people freely practising the sport and "waving the flag of Libya" brings him "joy". Story continuesOne in particular stands out among the ringside crowd -- Mountaha Touhami, one of few women boxers in the conservative Muslim country. "Even here, people are surprised to see a woman," she said, having come to the boxing gym to support a friend.

Source: Libya Today March 17, 2023 10:43 UTC