From the village of Biban Misbah to the center of the state of Tiaret in Algeria, Iman Khalif would travel 15 kilometers back and forth by bus or on foot. The important thing was to reach the sports hall, and more importantly, to achieve her dream. "Al Arabiya.net" visited this simple village to present a living example of a sports story that emerged from hardship, as she grew up in an environment that offered little encouragement for girls to engage in sports. The conservative community does not accept the idea of girls practicing sports, let alone a combat sport.
Iman's uncle, Mohamed Khalif, told "Al Arabiya.net," insisting that we visit his house adjoining his blacksmith shop: "People do not accept the idea of a girl boxing, and even her father did not agree. We would argue about her; he wanted to see her like any other girl in the village, waiting for a husband and getting married, while I asked him to let her pursue her hobby and favorite sport."
The living conditions also worked against Iman, who grew up among three sisters and one brother. Her father had a limited income, and her mother was ill, which forced the boxing champion to take on simple jobs to help her family and to secure money to travel to practice her favorite sport in the city of Tiaret (276 kilometers southwest of the Algerian capital).
One of her neighbors recalled that time, saying, "We used to see her playing soccer when she was younger, then we only saw her going to or coming back from the gym. Sometimes her family would accompany her when she was late coming home in the evening." He added, "She was an energetic girl who would sell traditional bread and various recyclable items; everything suggested that she would achieve great things."
"My sister has made the entire Algerian people happy," said Iman's younger brother in response to our question, "Were you happy for your sister?" He added, "Now everyone is proud of my sister, as if she has become the sister of every Algerian." This is what the ten-year-old boy noticed in recent days, as he saw everyone gathered for the atmosphere of the match in which Iman faced Hungarian opponent Luca Anna Hamori in the quarterfinals of the Olympics. He also noticed that the joy of her victory was a common theme among those who visited their home to share in the excitement of the game.
The other neighbors took the opportunity of our presence in the neighborhood where Iman grew up to express their concerns about living conditions, such as demands for clean drinking water, transportation, and more. Their message was clear: "Provide us the resources, and we will give you dozens of champions like Iman."
