In the Dream of Fighting in the Ring

Ali Mohammadi Rad, a documentary photographer born in 1982, focuses on the stories of female athletes. He highlights their struggles and inequalities to showcase the talents of Iranian women in sports.

Female athletes in Iran face numerous cultural, social, and legal obstacles, making professional sports more difficult for them than for men. Boxing, one of these sports, has not yet been legally recognized for women. This limitation has deprived aspiring female boxers of access to standard training facilities, official competitions, and professional opportunities. In 2019, with the World Boxing Federation allowing women to compete in international events with Islamic hijab, many Iranian female boxers hoped that a women’s boxing federation would be established in Iran. However, six years later, this hope has not materialized, and female boxers are still facing disappointment.

This collection tells the story of Hanieh, a 25-year-old woman from Shiraz. Disheartened by the lack of opportunities in Iran, she is forced to migrate illegally with her three-year-old daughter. Despite being aware of the dangers of the journey, including walking through forests, mountains, and crossing the sea, which threaten their lives, Hanieh leaves her family and homeland behind to continue her professional boxing career.