Excitement and anticipation are written allover the face of Mali’s Marine Fatoumata Camara (pictured) ahead of the Paris Olympics boxing tournament.
Her excitement is understandable. She will not only be taking part in her first ever Olympic Games, but will also be competing in front of her home fans including her parents, siblings, relatives and close friends.
And if that’s not enough motivation, she’s also the first female boxer from Mali to take part in the Olympics.
“It’s the first time my father will come to see me live. It means a lot to me. Imagine John even as much as I’m a tough Mali athlete, I was born and raised in the diaspora in Paris,” says the eloquent and ever jovial Fatou as her friends fondly call her.
“Taking part in the Games in my city is crazy. Can’t believe it. Many supporters are planning to come. I’m living my dream. It gives me so much energy.”
She was born and bred in a Paris suburb, Villeneuve Le Roi.
Fatou’s father, Sekou Camara, mum Anne-Marie and younger sisters, Ophelie and Caitline, are her number one supporters. The fact that they’ll all be watching Fatou live makes it even more interesting, and who knows how they’ll react when Fatou is on the receiving end punches raining from left, right and centre. Perhaps the sisters and mum will close their eyes to absorb the pain. Fatou will need to condition them mentally before the Games start on Friday this week.
“Yes I must have a word with them and tell my sisters and mum to relax when I’m in the ring, I’m now used to the pain of a punch,” says Fatou. “I live in the suburbs of Paris, so I’ll be home. Isn’t it amazing. And my preps have been good unlike the past tournaments. The Malian federation supported me with some money for training.”
Fatou first trained in Lisbon with Cape Verde’s David Pina at Privilegio Boxing Club under coaches Bruno Carvalho and Ricardo Rocha before moving to Paris to wind up her preparations with some good sparring.
After missing the Tokyo ticket by a whisker, Fatou can’t wait to stamp her authority in the Paris Olympics buoyed by the presence of family and childhood friends.
“I can’t just wait to be on the biggest sporting stage in the world. This is what I’ve been training for. I missed it very closely in Tokyo and now I’m finally part of it. So believe me I’m going to give my best because it’s a big honor for me, my family and all the people who believe in me.”
The Malian wondergirl seems to have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She’s one of the four lucky African boxers who earned the nine universality places.
Fatou came into prominence in 2019 when she surprised everyone in Mali by winning a silver medal in the African Games in Rabat, Morocco to become Mali’s first ever female boxer to win a medal in the African Games.
While she has not been able to replicate the form that saw her clinch a silver in the subsequent tournaments in Africa, she has always gone down fighting putting up her best show in every fight. Her unbridled passion and a positive mindset is what keeps her going, qualities which could see her make more history as the first ever Malian boxer to win an Olympic medal. Malian boxers have been at the Olympics four times but so far they’ve yet to win a medal. They competed at Mexico 1968 Olympics, Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Beijing 1988.
Fatou is in the featherweight division with Tunisia’s Khouloud Hlimi and DR Congo’s Marcelat Sakobi both of whom booked their tickets at the Africa Olympic qualifiers in Dakar last year. Hlimi outpointed Sakobi in the finals, and that’s why she is seeded fifth.
Looking at the array of talent and renowned boxers in the female featherweight division in Paris, it’s obvious the three African boxers will not have it easy but they all believe in themselves and are not shaken by the big names.
There’s top seeded 2018 and 2022 world champion Lin Yu-ting from Chinese Taipei, reigning world champion Italian cop Irma Testa who won bronze in Tokyo 2020, second seeded Australia’s 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Tina Rahimi, third seeded Amina Zidani from France, a bronze medallist in last year’s World Championships in New Delhi and 2023 European champion.
Other toughies in the division are Bulgaria’s Svetlana Stanova and and Ireland’s Commonwealth Games champion Michaela Walsh. Defending Olympic champion Japan’s Sena Irie will not be in Paris. She’s reportedly to have retired from boxing to pursue her studies.
That’s the roadblock Fatou, Hlimi and Sakobi are facing in their quest for a podium finish in Paris. It’s indeed a watertight roadblock.
Credit: AFBC Communications
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