In the world of boxing, where stories of triumph often emerge from humble beginnings, African Games gold medalist Patricia Mbata's journey shines as a testament to the power of determination, resilience and unwavering self-confidence, writes the author. peter akimbo
Born and raised in the bustling city of London, Patricia Mbatha is a rising star in the African boxing world, and is driven by a passion for the sport and an unwavering commitment to excellence as she embarks on an incredible journey to global recognition. I did.
Mbata works as a project manager at British construction company Turner & Townsend, where he has been for eight years and nine months.
She started boxing as a hobby in 2019 and hasn't looked back since. The 28-year-old's foray into the sport may have been unconventional, but her rise through the ranks has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Despite having no experience in the ring, she embarked on her boxing journey in her 20s.
Little did she know that this decision would mark the beginning of a promising career filled with accolades and milestones and set her on the path to greatness.
“When I was younger, boxing wasn't even in my vocabulary,” she revealed in an interview with Olympic.com.
“It was athletics, it was football, it was netball. All the sports that should have been done more at school were more common.”
Mbatha eventually settled on a gym in nearby Finchley, but the club's wealth was high, as it was the same gym where heavyweight great Anthony Joshua started his amateur career. I didn't know about the history of the sport.
Mbatha and Joshua share similarities in that both are British boxers of Nigerian descent and trained at amateur level at Finchley Amateur Boxing Club.
The middleweight boxer made his debut on December 7, 2019, and has always looked up to Joshua as his idol.
“My mentality is similar to Josh,” Mbatha said in an interview with Olympic.com.
“We started at the same club. And that's very exciting, because there's a guy who started out just like any other boxer, but in his career from amateur to professional fights, he just excelled. And you can see the path to where your journey will take you.”
Mbatha also said Joshua often socialized with her and other boxers when they visited Finchley Gym in Barnet.
“When I meet him, we always have conversations and he always just says, 'Just do it, just do it.' And I feel like I have the same philosophy of life. .
“My mentality, my spirit and what I believe is very similar to what Josh (Anthony Joshua) advises people to do: 'Just do it.'
The martial artist won all her matches at the 2023 Haringey Box Cup in June and left London's Alexandra Palace with a gold medal.
The annual event brings together elite boxers from Europe, America and Canada and was the stage that shaped the amateur careers of Olympic champions Joshua, Nicola Adams and Katie Taylor.
Mbatha's victory was a landmark moment in her short boxing career, cementing her place as one of the hottest middleweight boxers in England and abroad.
The Nigeria Boxing Federation invited her to fight for the national team and it was a dream come true.
“That conversation was really beautiful. And to me, it just shows that this is where I belong. This is where I'm supposed to be and this is where I belong,” she said. Ta.
Mbatha won the silver medal in favor of an unexpected invitation at the 2023 African Boxing Championships, falling just short of Mozambique's Ladi Grumman.
Her performance at this event ignited her desire to participate in the Olympics. She always had a dream, but this time it was boxing.
“You have to do things that seem almost impossible because you don't know where you're going to end up. You just have to push through. If you have so much love for something and believe in it, If it's in your spirit and you dream of it every day, you're right to just pursue that dream,” she said. she said.
“I feel like that's what I'm doing with boxing, because now we're talking about Olympic qualifying, the Olympic stage. I knew I was going to be in the Olympics. I thought it might be a competition, or it might be a different sport, but I always had a dream of standing on the Olympic stage.
“I believe and I know I can get there, so I just have to keep pushing. I don't want to get too philosophical or emotional about it, but being on that stage… I feel like I belong here.”
Mbatha missed out on qualifying for the 2023 Olympic qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal, where three other Nigerians booked tickets for Paris.
She was also a finalist in the preliminaries held in Busto Arsizio, Italy in March, but lost in the finals, but she will be competing in the second round scheduled for May 23 to June 3 in Bangkok, Thailand. There's still a chance to try your luck one more time at the World Olympic Qualifiers.
NBF interim president Azania Omo-Agege, who was vice-president of the association when Mbatha was first invited, told Sunday Punch that she was determined to become a champion.
“She was very excited when we called her to represent Nigeria for the first time in the 2023 African Boxing Championships in Cameroon, where she won a silver medal and that has always been her character. The only time I saw him drop was when he failed to qualify for the Olympics in Senegal, where he won bronze last year,” he said.
Of the 68 African boxers who traveled to Italy, Mbatha was one of three finalists and the only one to lose by split decision as the other two succumbed to unanimous decision losses. was.
Mbatha's journey despite setbacks and challenges is a testament to her unwavering determination and fortitude. Despite the disappointment at the Olympic qualifiers in Italy, she was determined to prepare for the 13th African Games, arriving in Accra, Ghana, just days after losing in the final and beginning her unstoppable run. The women won the gold medal. She weighs 75kg.
The Nigerian team topped the boxing medal rankings in Ghana with eight gold medals and two silver medals.
Her role model, Joshua, shared a photo of her and the other medal winners on the podium from Mbatha's Instagram page with the caption: 'Our @finchleyabc (Finchley and District Amateur Boxing) He shared it with the caption, “Club)” and praised Mbatha's victory at the African Games. Champ. ”
Joshua added the Nigerian flag below the photo and wrote: “Nigeria stand up.”
Mbatha sets her sights on the 2024 Paris Olympics, reminding us of the transformative power of sport and the endless possibilities it holds.
