'they Told Me To Choose Between My Hijab And Boxing'

With a heap of notes stacked beside her, Zeina Nassar sat her parents down successful their Berlin surviving room, fresh to springiness a position connected why they should fto her box.

The 13-year-old - inspired by YouTube training footage of female fighters - felt an instant relationship to nan sport. The hit of nan pads, nan threat of nan punches, nan powerfulness successful each movement.

"I watched it again and again," Nassar, now 27, tells BBC Sport. "I knew this is what I want to do."

So Nassar made her lawsuit for illustration a young lawyer, pleading for her future.

"I told them it would thief my attraction astatine school, that I'd only spell to an all-girls gym adjacent and that boxing was astir respect and discipline," she remembers.

Her parents were impressed, but convincing them was nan easy part.

Born successful Germany and of Lebanese descent, Nassar - a Muslim teen who proudly wore a hijab - would soon find that her top situation laic beyond her family.

She joined her section boxing gym, but astatine nan clip nationalist and world rules did not licence hijabs successful competition. She would person to conflict for her correct to compete.

"People told maine I had to take my hijab aliases my sport," she says. "I thought, why should I decide? I'm not hurting anyone. I conscionable want to box."

That small heart to situation injustice would travel to specify her career.

On Wednesday, Nassar will deterioration her hijab and afloat assemblage covering erstwhile she makes her master debut successful Pakistan. In her area will beryllium surviving fable Roy Jones Jr, arsenic trainer and mentor.

She is believed to beryllium nan first arsenic location are nary known high-profile examples of a master female boxing successful a hijab, making Nassar's debut moreover much significant.

Not bad for a kid pinch a PowerPoint and a dream.

At conscionable 14, Nassar helped alteration German amateur boxing regulations truthful she could compete successful agelong sleeves and a headscarf.

But erstwhile she stepped done nan ropes for her first amateur bout, adrenaline surging, she could consciousness nan eyes connected her.

"I noticed truthful galore group were looking," she says. "Some moreover told maine I couldn't conflict for illustration this, and I said 'please, we conscionable changed nan rules'.

"I conscionable didn't understand it - it should beryllium astir my capacity and really bully I americium successful nan ring. Yet truthful galore group were against it."

Nassar excelled successful nan ringing and changed attitudes, becoming a aggregate Berlin champion and nationalist title-holder, each while staying existent to her beliefs.

But erstwhile nan International Boxing Association (IBA) invited her to nan European Championships, she deed different wall. The hijab was still banned astatine world level.

So astatine 19, she started campaigning to person nan rules changed connected nan world stage.

"Germany wasn't supporting me," she says. "But I was ambitious. I wanted nan aforesaid fairness arsenic each different athlete."

In 2019, nan IBA ended nan prohibition connected hijabs. Olympic boxing is now governed by World Boxing which besides permits hijabs and full-body coverings.

"Because of me, each female successful amateur boxing tin now conflict pinch a hijab and beryllium who they want to be," Nassar says. "That's my proudest victory."

Nassar's run reshaped nan amateur world and successful 2017 she caught nan attraction of Nike, wherever she became a look of nan brand's caller hijab for athletes.

But what astir nan master ranks? What are nan rules? Could a hijab beryllium dangerous? Would it connection immoderate benignant of advantage?

BBC Sport contacted respective governing and sanctioning bodies. The WBO (World Boxing Organisation) leaves attire decisions to section commissions. The IBF (International Boxing Federation) has nary circumstantial rules connected belief headwear.

The British Boxing Board of Control, who governs master boxing successful nan UK, permits sports-designed hijabs.

German Boxing Federation president Oliver Wittmann admits location is small precedent but voices concerns astir its information and nan threat of a hijab slipping disconnected mid-fight.

Nassar counters Wittman's comments pinch her ain experience. "In astir 100 amateur fights, it has ne'er caused a problem," she says.

And nan aesculapian experts agree. "It's a non-issue," says professor Mike Loosemore, who has worked arsenic Team GB's aesculapian officer.

"Hijabs are made from light, breathable fabric," he said. "I've sewage nary problem pinch group boxing pinch hijabs.

"They're safe. They don't origin immoderate problem for nan boxer aliases nan opponent."

Pakistan is not often associated pinch a world boxing event, but much than 20,000 fans are expected successful Lahore complete 4 days of master fights.

The show, backed by nan Punjab government, will characteristic a operation of section and world fighters, including Britons Alex Dilmaghani, Jimmy Kelly and James Metcalf.

Nassar describes it arsenic an "honour" to beryllium fighting successful an Islamic country.

"Boxing's for everyone," adds Chris Glover, nan Liverpudlian down nan event. "If Zeina wants to deterioration a hijab, she could deterioration a cowboy chapeau for each I care. She's a pioneer."

In her area will beryllium Jones Jr, nan four-weight world champion turned coach. Nassar first met him astatine an IBA arena years ago.

"I couldn't judge I was sitting adjacent to him," she laughs.

"Then he started showing maine moves, giving maine advice, and we stayed successful touch. He's taught maine truthful overmuch astir footwork, astir power, astir belief."

Nassar has group herself a bold target of becoming a world champion wrong six aliases 7 bouts.

And fixed nan hurdles she has already flooded to scope this point, you wouldn't stake against her.