When Barbra Banda scored successive hat-tricks at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, in Zambia’s 10-3 defeat against the Netherlands and a dramatic 4-4 draw with China, she laid down her marker as a world-class striker. But the 23-year-old, who last weekend became the first player to captain her country at a senior World Cup, could have taken a different career path.
After a very successful 60-plus fights as an amateurboxer, Banda turned professional – having five bouts, of which she won four by knockout and one by a points decision. She was combining boxing with playing football and the offer of a professional contract from the Spanish club EDF Logroño in the 2018-19 season, compelled Banda to hang up her competitive gloves.
