Nigeria’s Commonwealth Games bronze medal-winning boxer, Cynthia Ogunsemilore, has revealed that despite her success in the sport, she would not want her future daughter to become a boxer because of the physical and emotional sacrifices female athletes endure.
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Speaking on Athlete Corner on Inside Naija Sports, Ogunsemilore said her decision has nothing to do with a lack of opportunities for women in boxing but rather the difficult journey required to succeed at the highest level.
“I can’t allow my daughter to go into boxing. I can only allow my male child, but not my daughter,” she said.
Explaining her position, the Nigerian boxer pointed to the intense training routines and the challenges of making weight before competitions, describing them as some of the toughest aspects of the sport.
“The suffering I suffered in boxing… whether you have money or not, you will still go through the drilling. You still have to make the weight. I don’t want my daughter to pass through that.”
Ogunsemilore clarified that she is not against women’s boxing. Instead, she believes authorities should reconsider how weight categories are managed for female athletes.
“I will allow female boxers, but I want it to be in a way that is more pleasing for them, especially the compulsory weight-making. Let female boxers fight in the weight that naturally suits them.”
She added that while male boxers also endure weight cuts, they generally cope better with the physical demands.
“The men can endure the rigours better. It is not that I want them to suffer, but they have more endurance than we ladies.”
The boxer also reflected on her upbringing in Bariga, Lagos, describing the community as a place that inspired her ambitions rather than discouraged them.
“We have many champions and celebrities from Bariga. Seeing them made me believe I could also make people proud and become one of the champions.”
Although she admitted growing up in a tough neighbourhood built her confidence, she stressed that boxing taught her discipline and restraint.
“You can’t fight everybody. We know the rules.”
