Ghana’s first female boxing champion, Abigail Quartey, has shared the intense effort behind her Women's International Boxing Federation (WIBF) title victory, which required four hours of daily training.
The 28-year-old secured her place in history by easily defeating British boxer Sangeeta Birdi, delivering a relentless series of punches and uppercuts to become Ghana’s first female world titleholder and the 11th overall in the nation’s boxing history.
In an interview with JoySports’ Haruna Mubarak for the documentary “Abigail Quartey: Her Gloves, Her Glory,” she opened up about the sacrifices she made, dedicating long hours in the gym and forgoing personal pleasures to meet the sport’s demanding requirements.
"Before I start training, I go jogging every morning for about an hour and a half," Abigail explained. "Then, I come home, freshen up, rest for a bit, and head to the gym for about two and a half hours. Training is essential before fights because I can’t perform at my best without proper preparation."
"Boxing is such a physically demanding sport that even completing a single round takes a lot out of you. I was determined to win the title, so I made sacrifices. I rarely went out, and after training, I would eat and head straight to bed."
Abigail’s triumph in a sport where women have often been sidelined has proven that the ring has no gender.
With an impressive record of nine wins in ten professional fights, she is now ranked first in Ghana and 51st globally in her division.
The spotlight now shifts to Abigail’s ability to defend her title and solidify her legacy, though her next opponent has yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile: Chelsea will face Manchester City in an all-English quarter-final in the Women’s Champions League, while defending champions Barcelona have been drawn against Wolfsburg in a rematch of the 2023 final.
Chelsea, the leaders of the Women’s Super League, edged City to the English title on goal difference last season and are aiming for a sixth consecutive top-flight championship. Continue here.
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