In Paris, the Grand Palais will host a combat sport event for the first time in over eighty years. This Thursday evening, a kickboxing World Championship organized by Frenchman Cyril Benzaquen, a seven-time world champion in the middleweight class, will take place starting at 6:30 pm. One of the highlights of this international gala will be the presence of Iranian fighter Shiva Nariman, who will face French fighter Jeanne Huron for the super lightweight world title.
This 24-year-old kickboxer fled her country in 2023 with her sister and mother. They headed to Turkey and then Greece to continue practicing her sport freely, with a male coach and without a veil. “It’s a strong symbol, she fled her country with the complicated situation that we have known for years,” said organizer Cyril Benzaquen to CNEWS. “She is fighting for the voice of women around the world who are fighting for their rights.”
Shiva Nariman has “received many threats”
Dubbed “Gladiator” as she proudly states on her Instagram account, the young fighter shared her unique journey with France Télévisions, starting from her clandestine arrival in Europe to obtaining refugee status in Greece.
“When I was in Turkey, I received many threats because I was the first Iranian woman to win a title in the World Cup and fought without a veil,” she recounted. “I know I can’t go back to Iran anyway. I have been called a traitor to the nation, so I will have to build my life elsewhere.”
Determined to be “number 1” in her sport, Shiva Nariman says: “I fight for my people. I’m not interested in politics per se. I want to be the voice of women, especially those in my country.”
