17-year-old Muslim boxer from Australia wins right to fight wearing hijab

Sydney: An aspiring Muslim teenage boxer has won her fight to wear a hijab in the ring.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Raianne Alameddine was banned from fighting last year because her hijab was 'unsafe' and the leggings that covered her knees were deemed to be a hazard.

The 17-year-old was devastated after the decision, because she had trained for months to fight.

“I signed up to my first boxing match almost a year ago and prepared for four months prior to my fight. However, two weeks before we got a letter saying we weren't allowed to fight if we wanted to wear our hijabs under our head gear, or if we were to wear skins that covered our knees,” Alameddine was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail Australia.

But Raianne continued training and was given the green signal to fight last week. Last Saturday she became the first amateur boxer in NSW to fight wearing a head scarf.

No winner was declared because the fight was an exhibition match, but 600 people watched the bout.

Following the bout, Alameddine called it a ‘massive relief and thrill’. The fact I came out safe and there were no hazards with me fighting with my scarf on, proves it should be allowed all around the world,” she said taking a dig at those who had banned her.

Raianne learned to box at Sydney's Final Round Gym after falling in love with the sport as she watched UFC fights on television, and then trained under Hassan El-Achrafi.

Raianne currently works as a part-time trainer at Final Round Gym and said her family were hugely encouraging of her choice to fight.

Achrafi described Raianne as a dedicated and disciplined fighter and teacher.