Clarck Ntambwe's journey from grief to boxing redemption

Clarck Ntambwe walked into a boxing gym in Goma with murder on her mind. She wanted to learn how to fight so she could kill the men who murdered her father. That raw admission forms the emotional core of Fight Like a Girl, a new feature film opening Friday in UK cinemas that traces how boxing rebuilt a shattered life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Director Matthew Leutwyler, who spent five years documenting the story before turning it into a narrative film, told The Guardian he and trainer Balezi Kibomango Bagunda sat Ntambwe down when they discovered her motive. "We have this in the documentary because, when we found out why Clarck wanted to learn how to fight, we sat her down and said: 'You cannot join the gym if that's the case,'" Leutwyler recalled.

Kibomango Bagunda: from child soldier to boxing mentor

Kibomango himself had been a child soldier forced into combat at 12, surviving a hand grenade blast that cost him an eye before reinventing himself as a boxer who fought on ESPN cards in Russia and Venezuela. He founded a women's boxing club in Goma that trained survivors of sexual violence, using the sport to restore independence rather than produce professionals. Ntambwe confirmed her grandfather had been Kibomango's first boxing instructor, creating a family link that helped her channel rage into discipline.

The film stars South African actor Ama Qamata in the lead role, with Ntambwe appearing as Aisha, a senior fighter who mentors newcomers. Qamata, known for Netflix's Blood & Water, trained for three weeks under Kibomango's strict eye before shooting began. "My first time training with Kibomango I was so scared to punch him," she told The Guardian. "He said: 'Girl, you're not gonna hurt me. Just punch me.'"

Kibomango was shot dead by M23 rebels in January 2025 while helping Leutwyler evacuate 41 children from a village under attack in eastern Congo. The film had wrapped shortly before his death. Ntambwe now lives in Seattle and watches boxing daily, missing the sport she once pursued for vengeance before it gave her a path forward. She reached the final of the African Boxing Championships under Kibomango's guidance.

Source: theguardian.com