By Loureen Ayyoub for CNNUpdated 0102 GMT (0902 HKT) August 20, 2022 Ramla Ali wants to be a role model for the next generation of female boxers. (CNN)After fleeing war in Somalia as a child, featherweight boxer Ramla Ali has had to fight for everything she has.
The 32-year-old is now about to write another chapter in her remarkable life as she prepares for her next bout against Crystal Garcia Nova of the Dominican Republic in the first ever female match to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.
Taking place in Jeddah on Saturday, the fight features Ali on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk versus Anthony Joshua as the literal «fight» for women's rights has reached new heights in the kingdom. «I'm proud to give my community and my people hope and give African girls another reason to take up sport and strive for anything they want to,» Ali told CNN Sport.
As a refugee, Ali is no stranger to breaking barriers. She fled war-torn Somalia with her family and settled in the United Kingdom, dealing with the tragic death of her brother.