WBC title holder and 2022 Commonwealth medallist Elizabeth Oshoba talks about winning a world title, beating the odds to win a medal in Birmingham, her boxing journey and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO
How did you start boxing?
It was actually my brother who introduced me to it; he came to me when I was 12 and said he wanted me to start boxing, he said, ‘I saw one video of a girl boxing and she is just like you, you guys look alike so I would like you to try boxing too’ but I told him I don’t want to box. So, actually, I do sports, I like sports, then I played football, I played table tennis then too, all these street sports, but I said I couldn’t do boxing, I didn’t want them to spoil my fine face, I can’t do it. My parents like sports as well, so they encouraged me, and one particular day, my Dad lied to me that we should go out to get fuel and he drove me to coach Smart of Smart Boxing, and when we got there was when I realised it was a boxing gym. The coach was now encouraging me too, and I saw a lot of ladies like me boxing so I now decided I could do this if these ones were doing it because I had the mind that if they saw me outside, they could just beat me and go, and I can’t let that happen and that is when I started.
When you first started boxing, did guys in the neighbourhood try to fight you?
Actually, when I started boxing, I was going to a public school so some of my schoolmates stayed in the area of the boxing gym, and when they saw me there, the next day they came to school and told everyone I was fighting boxing, and the guys then in the school did not want to accept that a lady could be doing this so they started bullying me, and it got to the point that I had to fight back, although it is not professional and we shouldn’t fight back, I had to just fight back but then I fought with a guy in my class and he started bleeding and that was when they all knew that I was a good boxer and they started leaving me alone.
Since you started your career till now, what will you define as the highlight of your career?
When I won the WBC world title and when I went for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, I couldn’t believe it, God did it so those are the best ones so far from me. I couldn’t believe I could make it to the Games and even win a silver medal, it was a very tough journey for me before I got to the Games dealing with a COVID-19 positive test before it later showed negative after three tests and I made the trip.
