Lusaka, Zambia – A girl shadow boxes in front of a gigantic gritty mirror, throwing punches at her chipped reflection. Another pair of fighters dance about a dimly lit canvas ring in rounds of a training session with their coach, who yells at them to fight and fight hard if they hope to follow in the footsteps of their role model, Esther Phiri.
As a seven-time welterweight world champion, Esther is Zambia’s most renowned female boxer to date. Since her rise to prominence, as well as changes in sporting regulations, women’s boxing has become increasingly popular in the southern African nation.
Clubs like Exodus International Boxing Promotions (EIBP), have sprung up across the Zambian capital’s poorer neighbourhoods, catering to both male and female fighters.