"They said that this sport was not for women": Nicaraguan boxing champion Yokasta Valle

In her first boxing match at the age of 13, Nicaraguan Yokasta Valle had a panic attack in front of the crowd.

“What do I do here?” she wondered amid cheers from the crowd, but when her opponent started hitting her, she responded, and won. “That was my beginning,” she tells the Voice of America.

Today, at the age of 30 and at the peak of success after being crowned the 105-pound world champion of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), she talks about the role of women in that sport. .

“The message that I would give to women is not to pay attention to bad comments. How many people did not tell me that I was never going to be a champion and that boxing is not for women? They told me that I was never going to support myself from boxing and that I was not going to get money.

And she gives herself as an example: “but now because of boxing I have my house, my car, my gym, machinery. Apart from being a boxer, I am also a businesswoman”.

Both in Costa Rica, where she was trained as a child, and in Nicaragua, where she was born, they are proud of the achievements she has had throughout her sports career.

“Give me a photo,” says a fan at the gym owned by Yokasta. She proceeds to wipe off her sweat and pose for the photo. The client is a Costa Rican boy accompanied by his father.

In his opinion, what people admire is his courage and his perseverance that he does not give up “in a sport dominated by men” and on many occasions people praise his qualities.

“She has already changed, but at first it was surprising to see such a tiny girl, so skinny and, at the same time, so strong and capable, and so determined. These positive comments motivate me to continue setting that example and make it easier for future generations”, she comments to the VOA.

Boxing in the United States

Among the most recent achievements, Yokasta mentions that there is the fact that it was signed by Golden Boy Promotionsone of the most coveted United States boxing promoters worldwide, owned by Oscar de la Hoya.

He also highlights that he has had the opportunity to fight in the United States on two occasions, however he says that he continues to fight to fulfill more dreams and set more goals.

“My dream was to have a world title, one. I already have five; and now I have a great endorsement in Golden Boy. Being a champion is difficult, but it is more difficult to stay and behind that, making a fight is a lot of expense, but I keep going, dreaming.”

Yokasta’s discipline and achievements have been passed down through his generations. Her younger sister, 18, trains with her and is also a boxer. She says that she introduced her to boxing from the age of twelve.

Despite her achievements, Yokasta says she never forgets where she came from and her parents’ efforts to support her. “I used to tell my mom that she wanted to be a boxer… something told me that boxing was my future and that’s how it has been,” she concludes.

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