With the topic of gender equality being spoken about loudly in almost all races, religions and cultures, it’s a stigma and world understanding that women are usually the weaker of the sexes almost in all fields. But as of recent times, the world view is changing and more and more women are out to conquer everything they see, taking it all by storm one establishment and field at a time. Women of the Arab world, specifically Saudi Arabia are pushing harder to prove themselves and are succeeding; the sky is the limit.
Sports is a field known in the Kingdom as a male dominant field, but in recent years, more female athletes, fitness trainers and fitnatics are popping up, breaking that “male dominant” stereotype. One Saudi female is not only breaking that one stereotype, she is also breaking another by being the only Saudi female kickboxing and boxing trainer in the Kingdom as far as anyone knows. Halah Al-Hamrani, a 38-year-old mother of one, is a strong-willed woman who believes that all women must challenge themselves and push their limits. She’s doing what she does best, box, and she loves it!
Arab News caught up with Halah and spoke to her about her love for boxing.
Your choice to box and kick box is outside the known “exercise” regimen the Saudi women are used to, how did you progress throughout the years and why did you choose this path?
After graduating high school in Jeddah, I moved to San Diego and majored in Environmental Studies and minored in International Relations. I had already been doing martial arts since the age of 12, starting with karate, then moving on to different arts. I have a black belt in jujitsu too. When moving to the States, I decided that I wanted to learn how to “throw a proper punch,” something you don’t find in martial arts. I’ve been training myself in boxing and kick boxing for a long time, starting with Muay Thai, a very specific form of kick boxing, the art of eight limbs (characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins) and it’s the only form of kick boxing that involves knees and elbows. After coming back to Saudi Arabia, as a woman, I wasn’t able to find work in my field, so after two years I decided to start personal training. I got my certificate from NASM and have been training clients for 10 years now.
Was it difficult to train clients in boxing and kick boxing in Saudi Arabia, since it’s considered to be a male dominant sport?
I’m constantly surprised with the amount of attention this gets from the female population; I receive countless e-mails from women wanting to learn how to box. That’s their biggest attraction. It’s new and interesting for them and they do it as a form of a workout and I find it incredible how many women are excited about this sport.
When it comes to form and technique, is there a difference between kick boxing and boxing?
After practicing Muay Thai for six years, I met an amazing boxing instructor in the US and I decided to focus more on boxing. There is a very big difference when it comes to form and technique, with Muay Thai you learn how to throw really powerful kicks with your knees and elbows but the punches aren’t very pretty. It’s more about beating your opponent down, but with boxing it’s about understanding how to beat that opponent out. It’s more of a dance which I’ve started to fall in love with it and I continued with that for four years. Conditioning is pretty much the same for both kick boxing and boxing but technique can be varied from one who has trained in boxing first, then kick boxing, it will be harder to grasp the understanding of using both your lower body and upper body instead of a punch but easier if it was the other way around. The styles are different.
What type of other exercises do you incorporate in boxing and kickboxing to help increase your balance?
I did some calisthenics, which is body weight strength training and got attracted to yoga through that. To me yoga had postures that required more core strength and balance. I like to challenge myself and a.m. willing to try out different poses on my own to find that balance through the training I did with calisthenics. Yoga is a great addition to my workout, it helps with my flexibility in kicks, get some peace and serenity on bad days and helped a lot with my balance as a boxer.
Can you please walk readers through your classes?
Usually we start with a 5-minute warm up, moving on to light weight to concentrate on approaches and technique so they are able to strengthen their shoulders and after that the hard intensity cardio starts with the heavy bag. After the heavy bag there is conditioning such as pushups, jump squats, sit ups and abs training, ending with some stretching to cool down. The classes are between an hour and a half.
Many women have their doubts and are self-conscious about their body image, their ability to perform effectively and succeed in their goals in boxing. How do you approach such a person and motivate them after their realization that boxing is a tough sport?
Every student of mine would have a moment or two of doubts. I think what makes them push forward and continue on is realizing that they are getting better at it. I’m their cheerleader, I direct them and positively reinforce them. But if a student comes in defeated and is already intimidated by it, it’d be hard for me to veer them into the right direction with words, it’s their progression and ability to push through the workout that helps them. I never force my students to do something they’re not able to do, everyone starts off with their own level of strength and my job is to direct them through the training and allow them to realize their potential at the end of the day. Boxing and kick boxing is a mind set.
What is your philosophy in exercise and health?
There are things that need to be understood about attaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s a misunderstanding that “dieting” is what being healthy is, I don’t believe in calling it a “diet”. First, it shouldn’t be incorporated with “lifestyle” because dieting is something temporary, lifestyle is a lifetime choice. If everyone makes the time to include some kind of exercise such as walking or jogging and decides to cut out unhealthy foods such as sugars and processed goods, then that’s a lifestyle choice. To be healthy is a mindset, it’s not a strict regimen depriving oneself from everything, it’s ok to have a cheat meal every now and then and that balances everything out. Consistency is the key.
It’s a common fact that everyone wants to lose weight STAT. What’s your response to that?
It sickens me to see so many young girls who go through extreme measures to just be skinny and there is no need for it what so ever. It’s difficult and I understand when some girls come to class dreading attending and going through my tough workout but they inspire me when they go through with it. They do it, they commit to it and they push themselves past their limits and that is my joy in teaching. Skinny is not an option, healthy and fit is the goal each woman has to strive for. If I was able to help a girl learn how to do a pull up in a month’s time, that is an accomplishment for her and me.
Some might say that boxing and kickboxing isn’t for girls, what’s your opinion on that?
That’s not true, girls are just as strong as men in boxing and kick boxing. It’s a stereotype and it’s unacceptable. All it needs is learning the right moves and techniques, commitment and dedication and have the right mindset to be able to perform. There is no such excuse as “boxing is for men only”.
Why choose the title “Fight Like a Girl”?
Because it’s boxing and it’s seen as a male dominant sport. It’s supposed to be ironic but not really. “Fight Like a Girl” is not supposed to be a negative connotation, instead should be something positive because with training, women can be just as strong as men, you can do it just the way they can and be proud of it too.
Would you ever want to compete professionally?
That would have been my dream, but unfortunately they don’t accept women past a certain age to enter the Olympics for boxing. If I really wanted to, I could probably try professional boxing but I would be starting at the age of 38 which is usually not done so I doubt I will ever have the chance. InshaAllah I hope to find a Saudi girl that I can train and maybe give her the chance to be the first.
Laila Ali, the daughter of legendary heavy boxer Mohammed Ali, the best known sports figure in the world, got into the ring in 1999 and showed the crowd how it’s done. She has won many titles and gained fame as not only the daughter of the legendary boxer but also on the basis of her skills. She told how her father advised her on every negative thing associated with boxing but has never told her “don’t do it” instead he asked her to show him her best pre-fight stare down and then pretended to throw jabs at each other.
Women are the backbone of society, the strength of a woman’s will can never be tethered, Halah proved it and so can many more. Be sure to follow Halah on her Instagram page FLAGBOXING. For appointments, please e-mail the trainer at [email protected].
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Email: [email protected]
One Saudi woman shows how to ‘Fight Like a Girl’
One Saudi woman shows how to ‘Fight Like a Girl’
World’s most popular TikTok personality Khaby Lame joins UNICEF as goodwill ambassador
DAKAR, Senegal: Khaby Lame, the Senegal-born world’s most popular TikTok personality who never says a word in videos watched by millions of followers, addressed the youth in his native country on Friday when he was appointed as UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
The 24-year-old influencer, who has over 162 million followers, rose to fame with charming videos of his reactions to everyday life in which he never says a word. His following surged during the pandemic, when he was fired from his factory job and used the extra time on his hands to make and upload more videos.
Being a UNICEF ambassador will allow him to “see all the world and its problems,” Lame said, adding that he hoped he could contribute to solving some of them.
“It’s a true honor to be appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and be part of an organization that puts children’s rights front and center every day,” Lame said in a statement. “From my own experience as a child fearing poverty, struggling to find my passion at school, and losing my job during the COVID-19 pandemic, to finding my place and calling in the world, I know that all children can thrive when they are given a chance and opportunity.”
Senegal is a major source of irregular migration to Europe. Over 60 percent of Senegalese people are under 25, and 90 percent work in informal jobs. They have watched for years as money made from natural resources has gone overseas, and many say they have no other choice but to embark on treacherous journeys in rickety fishing boats across the Atlantic.
“I tell them to dream big,” Lame said when asked about his message to Senegal’s youth. “Try and do your best to accomplish your dreams, even though there are people telling you that you cannot reach them.”
Lame moved to Italy from his native Senegal when he was an infant with his working class parents, but was only granted Italian citizenship when he was 20.
“I’ve been in Italy for 20 years since I was only 2 years old,” Lame told The Associated Press in Dakar. Looking sharp in a beige suit and a matching tie, he added: “My blood is from Senegal, but I feel Senegalese and Italian at the same time.”
Lame’s appointment to UNICEF came at the end of a four-day visit to Senegal where he met children and young people who are driving positive change in their communities.
Green Day and Billie Eilish open FireAid, a benefit for LA wildfire relief
- FireAid has taken over two Inglewood, California, venues — the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome
- The show is streaming on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Apple TV+, Max, Netflix, Paramount+ and Prime Video
INGLEWOOD: Green Day kicked off the massive FireAid benefit concert Thursday night, a two-venue concert extravaganza that is raising money for Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts.
They launched into “Last Night on Earth,” and were soon joined by Billie Eilish for the first surprise of the night. The lyrics are surprisingly astute: “If I lose everything in the fire / I’m sending all my love to you.”
After their set, Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong hugged Billy Crystal, who was there to welcome to the crowd at the Kia Forum.
“Our goal is simple tonight, to spend more money than the Dodgers spent on free agents,” he joked. He told the audience U2 offered the first big donation of the night — $1 million dollars.
Crystal said he has was wearing the clothes he had on when when he evacuated. He lost his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that he lived in for 46 years.
The first true-blue Los Angeles moment came from a surprise performance by Dr. Dre. The progenitor of West Coast hip-hop tackled “Still D.R.E.” with Anderson .Paak and Sheila E. before pivoting to Tupac and Dre’s classic “California Love.”
It was followed by the figurehead of Laurel Canyon folk, a moving set of “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell.
Alanis Morissette in a bedazzled “I heart LA” shirt, launched into “Ironic,” harmonica in hand. Behind the performers, images of firefighters and the devastation brought forth by the fires appeared on screen.
Between sets, videos of survivors telling the stories of losing their homes were broadcast throughout the arena.
Spirits were high in the arena. “We’re appreciative of this moment. I hope people remember this concert forever,” said Scott Jones, 54, who brought his daughter to the concert. The Los Angeles-resident and his daughter wores black T-shirts with “First Responders” written across their chests.
“I hope some of the firefighters who are able to attend can come and decompress a little,” Jones said. ” They needed it. I’m supportive of what they have done for this city.”
How to watch FireAid
FireAid has taken over two Inglewood, California, venues — the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome.
It is being broadcast and streamed live on Apple Music, Apple TV+, Max, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Netflix/Tudum, Paramount+, Prime Video, the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, SiriusXM, Spotify, SoundCloud, Veeps and YouTube. It will also be shown at select AMC Theatres locations in the US
Who else will perform?
Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRae and Earth, Wind & Fire will perform at the Intuit Dome.
Dawes, Graham Nash, John Fogerty, No Doubt, Pink, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes and John Mayer will perform at the Kia Forum.
Mayer and Dave Matthews were originally scheduled to perform live together for the first time, but on Wednesday, the official Dave Matthews Band Instagram account announced that “due to a critical illness in the family,” Matthews will no longer take the stage.
The folk rock band Dawes were directly affected by the Eaton fire. Actor-singer Mandy Moore, who is married to Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, posted on social media to share that a portion of their Altadena house and Goldsmith’s home recording studio were destroyed. Goldsmith’s brother and bandmate, Griffin Goldsmith, and his pregnant wife also lost their home in the fire.
How will donations work?
Those not in attendance can watch the live feed and contribute donations via FireAidLA.org. The link, which is open now, will also be up on the screen for the duration of the broadcast.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie will match all donations made during the live broadcast, doubling the proceeds. Crystal noted that because of their pledge, U2’s million dollar donation was worth twice that amount.
All of the proceeds will go to those affected. A 501(c)(3) was set up, and contributions to FireAid will be distributed under the Annenberg Foundation, which with FireAid has assembled a small committee to advise.
Are we all aliens? NASA’s returned asteroid samples hold the ingredients of life from a watery world
Are we all aliens? NASA’s returned asteroid samples hold the ingredients of life from a watery world
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: Asteroid samples fetched by NASA hold not only the pristine building blocks for life but also the salty remains of an ancient water world, scientists reported Wednesday.
The findings provide the strongest evidence yet that asteroids may have planted the seeds of life on Earth and that these ingredients were mingling with water almost right from the start.
“That’s the kind of environment that could have been essential to the steps that lead from elements to life,” said the Smithsonian Institution’s Tim McCoy, one of the lead study authors.
NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft returned 122 grams (4 ounces) of dust and pebbles from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, delivering the sample canister to the Utah desert in 2023 before swooping off after another space rock. It remains the biggest cosmic haul from beyond the moon. The two previous asteroid sample missions, by Japan, yielded considerably less material.
Small amounts of Bennu’s precious black grains — leftovers from the solar system’s formation 4.5 billion years ago — were doled out to the two separate research teams whose studies appeared in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy. But it was more than enough to tease out the sodium-rich minerals and confirm the presence of amino acids, nitrogen in the form of ammonia and even parts of the genetic code.
Some if not all of the delicate salts found at Bennu — similar to what’s in the dry lakebeds of California’s Mojave Desert and Africa’s Sahara — would be stripped away if present in falling meteorites.
“This discovery was only possible by analyzing samples that were collected directly from the asteroid then carefully preserved back on Earth,” the Institute of Science Tokyo’s Yasuhito Sekine, who was not involved in the studies, said in an accompanying editorial.
Combining the ingredients of life with an environment of sodium-rich salt water, or brines, “that’s really the pathway to life,” said McCoy, the National Museum of Natural History’s curator of meteorites. “These processes probably occurred much earlier and were much more widespread than we had thought before.”
NASA’s Daniel Glavin said one of the biggest surprises was the relatively high abundance of nitrogen, including ammonia. While all of the organic molecules found in the Bennu samples have been identified before in meteorites, Glavin said the ones from Bennu are valid — “real extraterrestrial organic material formed in space and not a result of contamination from Earth.”
Bennu — a rubble pile just one-third of a mile (one-half of a kilometer) across — was originally part of a much larger asteroid that got clobbered by other space rocks. The latest results suggest this parent body had an extensive underground network of lakes or even oceans, and that the water evaporated away, leaving behind the salty clues.
Sixty labs around the world are analyzing bits of Bennu as part of initial studies, said the University of Arizona’s Dante Lauretta, the mission’s chief scientist who took part in both studies.
Most of the $1 billion mission’s cache has been set aside for future analysis. Scientists stress more testing is needed to better understand the Bennu samples, as well as more asteroid and comet sample returns. China plans to launch an asteroid sample return mission this year.
Many are pushing for a mission to collect rocks and dirt from the potentially waterlogged dwarf planet Ceres in the main asteroid belt. Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus also beckon as enticing water worlds. Meanwhile, NASA has core samples awaiting pickup at Mars, but their delivery is on hold while the space agency studies the quickest and cheapest way to get them here.
“Are we alone?” McCoy said. “That’s one of the questions we’re trying to answer.”
Newly spotted asteroid has a tiny chance of hitting Earth in 2032
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: A newly discovered asteroid has a tiny chance of smacking Earth in 2032, space agency officials said Wednesday.
Scientists put the odds of a strike at slightly more than 1 percent.
“We are not worried at all, because of this 99 percent chance it will miss,” said Paul Chodas, director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies. “But it deserves attention.”
First spotted last month by a telescope in Chile, the near-Earth asteroid — designated 2024 YR4 — is estimated to be 130 to 330 feet (40 to 100 meters) across.
Scientists are keeping close watch on the space rock, which is currently heading away from Earth. As the asteroid’s path around the sun becomes better understood, Chodas and others said there’s a good chance the risk to Earth could drop to zero.
The asteroid will gradually fade from view over the next few months, according to NASA and the European Space Agency. Until then, some of the world’s most powerful telescopes will keep monitoring it to better determine its size and path. Once out of sight, it won’t be visible until it passes our way again in 2028.
The asteroid came closest to Earth on Christmas Day — passing within roughly 500,000 miles (800,000 kilometers) of Earth, about twice the distance of the moon. It was discovered two days later.
Chodas said scientists are poring over sky surveys from 2016, when predictions show the asteroid also ventured close.
If scientists can find the space rock in images from then, they should be able to determine whether it will hit or miss the planet, he told The Associated Press. “If we don’t find that detection, the impact probability will just move slowly as we add more observations,” he said.
Earth gets clobbered by an asteroid this size every few thousand years, according to ESA, with the potential for severe damage. That’s why this one now tops ESA’s asteroid risk list.
The potential impact would occur on Dec. 22, 2032. It’s much too soon to know where it might land if it did hit Earth.
The good news, according to NASA, is that for now, no other known large asteroids have an impact probability above 1 percent.
Coffee prices surge to record highs above $3.60 per lb
- Dealers said 70 percent-80 percent of Brazil’s current arabica harvest has been sold and new trades are slow
- Brazil produces nearly half the world’s arabica beans, a high-end variety typically used in roast and ground blends
NEW YORK: Global arabica coffee prices hit record highs above $3.60 per lb on Wednesday as Brazil, by far the world’s largest producer, has few beans left to sell and as worries over its upcoming harvest persist.
Dealers said 70 percent-80 percent of Brazil’s current arabica harvest has been sold and new trades are slow. Brazil produces nearly half the world’s arabica beans, a high-end variety typically used in roast and ground blends.
The country’s recent weather has been more favorable after a severe drought last year. Still, the upcoming crop will be 4.4 percent smaller than the previous, according to Brazilian food supply agency Conab.
“Global coffee supplies remain limited. Vietnam is progressing slowly with sales of its robusta crop. The arabica harvested in Central America and Colombia is taking longer to get to the market, and Brazilian farmers don’t show much interest in selling more,” said broker HedgePoint Global Markets on Wednesday.
Arabica coffee futures on the ICE exchange, a contract used globally to price physical coffee trades, hit a record high of $3.6945 per lb earlier, bringing gains for the year up nearly 15 percent. The contract later closed up 2.5 percent at $3.6655 per lb.
Robusta coffee, a generally cheaper variety used mostly to make instant coffee, rose 0.9 percent at $5,609 a metric ton.
Coffee exports from India, the world’s fifth largest robusta producer, are expected to decline more than 10 percent in 2025 due to lower production and reduced carry-forward stocks from last season’s crop.
Dealers said farmers in both India and Vietnam, the world’s top robusta producer, are holding back sales in anticipation of further price gains and that in Brazil, some 80-90 percent of the current harvest has been sold.
Broker Sucden said in a report that Brazilian farmers are also prioritizing local sales over dollar-priced exports even though the latter fetch more money as their financial position has improved significantly over the past two years.
It added the country’s current buffer stocks have eroded to an estimated 500,000 bags versus some 8 million bags traditionally, meaning any additional weather disruptions could have an outsized impact on global coffee prices.
Sucden sees the global coffee market recording a fourth successive deficit this season.
In other soft commodities traded, raw sugar rose 1.1 percent at 19.45 cents per lb, rebounding strongly from last week’s five-month low, while white sugar gained 2.2 percent at $522.90 a ton.
New York cocoa futures rose 3.3 percent to $11,745 a ton, while London cocoa gained 1.6 percent to 9,138 pounds per ton.
