Glasgow: First fight against another woman

Teenage women’s division boxer Taoriba Biniati has never fought another woman – only men – because on the tiny Pacific Island where she lives there are no other female fighters.

But that changed when women’s boxing made its debut at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday when Biniati went into the ring against Mauritian fighter Isabelle Ratna in the lightweight division.

The 18-year-old, who has only been boxing for a year, arrived in Glasgow having never set a foot off her tiny island in the Pacific Ocean before.

“I probably have more confidence having not fought another woman,” she told Reuters before the match which she lost to the Mauritian.

“The boys have to be serious in their training.

“I have no problem with fighting boys, so I’m looking forward to fighting a woman.”

Regardless of how she performed in the ring, Biniati, who accompanied the Queen’s Baton Relay when it visited Kiribati ahead of the Games, hopes to inspire the next generation of female competitors when she returns home.

“My friends are very envious and they want to start boxing because it is a good way to get recognition,” she said.

“I want to attract more women to the sport so I will start up a training camp for little girls when I get home.”

While a lack of ring experience definitely hindered Biniati’s chances of becoming the first person from Kiribati to win a Commonwealth medal, the women’s boxing event in Glasgow has been well recieved and hopes to build on its successful showing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.