Breaking barriers: Momina Naz crowned first Hijabi senior national champion

Momina pictured with head coach Zhoib Kayani

--

Momina Naz’s journey to becoming a senior national boxing champion is one of the most inspiring success stories to come out of the Slough boxing scene, which is having a renaissance of late.

Just two years ago, she walked into Kayani Camp Boxing Club in Slough barely knowing how to throw a punch.

Last month, she was crowned Senior National Champion, making history as the first-ever female Hijabi National Champion, not just for Slough, but for the entire Home Counties region.

In a sport where hijabi women are rarely seen, Momina is breaking stereotypes and proving that modesty and excellence can coexist at the highest level. She’s inspiring a new generation of young women who may have once felt that boxing wasn’t a space for them.

From day one, Momina has refused the easy path. On her debut, she boxed and beat a girl with eight fights’ experience and continued to face more seasoned opponents every time out. With limited entries in her weight category (under 48kg), she was fast-tracked to the national final, but to stay sharp, we matched her in one of her hardest tests yet, against a fighter with over 20 contests, where she was denied victory in a controversial split decision. That performance, though, showed she was ready for the big stage.

In the National Development Finals, she faced Lea Gunton of Bulkington ABC, who entered with 13 bouts to Momina’s four. It was experience versus determination and Momina delivered a dazzling, dominant performance. Switching effortlessly between orthodox and southpaw, she pushed the pace, controlled every exchange, and took a unanimous decision (UD) victory to secure her first national crown.

What makes this story even more poetic is where it all happened. Momina trains out of Kayani Camp Boxing Club, based in the Queensmere Centre, now owned by The Berkeley Group, the same developer behind the Horlicks Quarter, where Momina works as a barista.

From serving coffee in one Berkeley-owned site to becoming a national champion in another, her journey is a full-circle story of hard work, faith, and inspiration.

Every early morning, every late night, and every drop of sweat was for this moment.

“Momina’s victory represents more than a boxing title,” said Amar Kayani.

“lt is a message of empowerment, showing that young women, especially hijabi women, can reach the top of the sport while staying true to who they are.

“We’re incredibly proud of her and what this means for Slough, for women’s boxing, and for the wider community.”

For more information on the Kayani Camp Boxing Club contact Amar Kayani on Instagram @kayanicamp or @kayani_amar or call 07882873150