Muslim Boxing Coach Ekram Sarrokh Enters Belgian Politics to Empower Women

A new string to Ekram Sarrokh’s bow: politics. Nothing predestined this coach for a political career. The young woman’s trigger came from a chance encounter at the market. Deputy Mayor Astrid De Bruycker (Vooruit) was already following her under the name ’coachkillah’ on Instagram, and she approached her with Mayor Mathias De Clercq (Open VLD), reports Nieuwsblad.be. Her commitment to women’s empowerment fascinates them. Today, she is running as an independent on the "Voor Gent" list, in 11th place. "I never thought I would enter politics, but as an independent, I want to bring more to the people of Ghent. I’m not a Ghent politician," she said.

Sarrokh was born to a Moroccan mother and grew up in Ghent. She lives in Gentbrugge. "My mother is originally from Morocco, but she came here very young," she says. At 25, she marries and with her husband founds the gym "The Academy Ghent". In parallel, she works as an educator at Athénée de Merelbeke. As a boxing coach, she makes the empowerment of women a priority. "I want to empower them. It’s important to me to be present as a woman. If people identify with me, that’s a plus. It’s a bit taboo to look like the Hulk as a woman, but I want to break that," she commits.

As an educator, she has chosen to give a helping hand to young people from difficult family backgrounds. "I use sport to relieve students of their worries. They are receptive, which creates a bond of trust. My own family situation was not ideal and this has only strengthened my desire to help others. It makes me stronger in life." Passionate about travel, she prefers to go to countries where she can do sports. In 2022, she stayed in Dubai.

Today, Sarrokh wants to devote herself to politics. "My husband and I fill our days with motivation and sport. But I want to take time for politics. I want to get fully involved and campaign. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time."