Jalo Aiyopa, a new fighter in the boxing scene, has made her National Boxing Championships debut and dominated her opponent, Claudia Aisa, during the women’s finals in the 75kg division bout yesterday (November 4th) at Taurama Aquatic and Indoor Center.
Despite Aiyopa’s small stature, she delivered brutal and merciless punches and attacks against her taller opponent in the ring, knocking Aisa out in straight sets.
Hailing from Hela, she began her boxing career last year under the Defence Boxing Club based in Port Moresby, recording four amateur fights under her belt besides the National Championship appearance.
No association gave Aiyopa a chance to train under their club, but the AROB Boxing Association received her with open arms and mentored the newbie, developing her fighting skills to a promising boxer.
“I aim to fight smart and win it for team AROB because no association had an interest in me to fight in the National Championships. AROB created the opportunity for me to fight in the National Championships, so I dedicate this win to the association,” she said.
The Hela woman took up boxing because of self-defense, but she is starting to become more passionate about the code, aspiring to be a professional fighter in the future.
“I took an interest in boxing because of self-defense. The safety of girls isn’t guaranteed, so I decided to pursue boxing to defend myself from danger. Who knows, maybe in the future, I’m thinking of going pro,” Aiyopa said.
Aiyopa admitted that there was still room for improvement as she had just started her boxing career. She is focused and eager to learn and hone her skills as she progresses in her thriving career.
Comments