PAKISTANI GIRL WORKS TOWARDS OLYMPIC BOXING GOLD|巴基斯坦女拳擊手 盼克服困境打進奧運

In other news, a teenager in Pakistan is dreaming of becoming her country's first female Olympic boxer. Sarah Baloch is a girl from a poor area of Karachi who hopes to prove that girl power is alive and well going in 2017. The girls arriving at the Young Lyrai Health and Boxing Club take off their traditional clothes to reveal track suits ready for their boxing training. One of the girls, Sarah Baloch, who comes from a poor area of Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, is dreaming of becoming the first Olympic boxer in her country. ==SARAH BALOCH Boxer== I'll fight in the boxing tournament in Karachi, then I'll win the provincial level tournament, then the national tournament, then internationally, and then I'll become an Olympian. Baloch is a medal winner in a rare local boxing tournament for girls. She took up boxing because she was inspired by her father who participated in the 1972 Olympics. Besides practicing at the boxing club, the 16-year-old practices with her father and brothers at home to improve her skills since there are few opportunities to fight. The sparring matches are intense affairs, and the punches rain down despite the lack of safety gear. Twenty five girls ranging in age and skill level joined the boxing club, even smaller girls as young as eight have the determination to deliver a knock-out punch. Despite pressures from home as well as society, the girls continue to pursue their passion. ==ANISA ASGHAR Boxer== Women can do everything that men can do. For instance, a woman can become a boxer, of which I and all these girls are proof. I want to give this message to every woman that they don't have to sit at home. Then there are some people who have a problem with women going to clubs, women learning boxing, or why are women playing cricket or football as they should only stay at home; but this kind of thinking is wrong. In 2016, the girls got an unexpected opportunity to showcase their skills at an event organized by the French and German cultural centers. The 10-day training camp and exhibition matches not only enhanced the girls' experience in fighting, but also gave a great boost to female boxing. As tough as it might be for women to take up boxing in Pakistan, the girls from Karachi aren't planning to throw in the towel. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH