‘Boxing Pulgar’: Greek athlete on lookalike, Flamengo kit, Brazil dream | OneFootball

In an exclusive interview with Coluna do Fla, Korina Daponte commented on a photo that went viral among Flamengo fans and revealed where the red-and-black jersey she wore in a video came from

By: Mônica Alves and Pedro Paulo Catonho

An unexpected resemblance on social media turned Greek boxer Korina Daponte into a talking point among red-and-black supporters, who dubbed the athlete the ‘Pulgar of boxing’. In light of the buzz, Coluna do Fla spoke with the 24-year-old, born and raised in Athens. In the interview, the fighter opened up about the invasion of the Nação on her profile, revealed she already knew about the club, and envisioned a future fight in Brazil.

The comparison with Pulgar started gaining traction on social media because of their similar physical features and style. In addition, the jersey worn by the athlete in an Instagram video was a gift from her boyfriend, who is a fan of the club, Korina explained.

“The same hair, the same tattoo style, that random photo... and the same passion for sport, each of us on our own side. The fans simply did the rest,” she said before continuing.

“Someone very close to me had a Flamengo jersey because of their admiration for the club. Because of the interaction and support from the fans, it was a really nice experience to train while wearing it,” she revealed.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Κορίνα Δαπόντε (@korinadaponte)

DID YOU ALREADY KNOW FLAMENGO?

Before the wave of comparisons on social media, the boxer was already familiar with Flamengo from following football and other sports. However, Korina admitted she took advantage of the buzz to dig deeper into the history of the red-and-black club.

“I had already heard of the team, since I follow football and also other sports besides boxing. To be honest, I looked a little deeper into the club’s history because of everything that happened, and I was impressed,” she revealed.

Korina Daponte, boxer – Photos: Instagram reproduction

HAVE YOU ALREADY SPOKEN WITH PULGAR?

About the possibility of speaking with Erick Pulgar, the boxer explained that the two have not talked yet, as she remains fully focused on training and her career. In addition, the athlete commented on her relationship with the fans and the affection she has been receiving from Brazilians.

“Yes, I never thought this would turn into something so big. To be honest, I’m enjoying it because Brazilian fan culture seems to suit me,” she said.

The fighter also revealed her desire to visit the country and even step into a ring on Brazilian soil to return the fans’ affection.

“No, I still haven’t had the opportunity to visit the country, but it was already one of the places I wanted to travel to. Even more so now that all this has happened. I would even love to have a boxing match there, so the fans could come watch me fight,” she said.

READ OTHER ANSWERS FROM KORINA DAPONTE:

DID YOU GAIN A LOT OF FOLLOWERS AFTER THE COMPARISON STARTED?

“At the moment, I’ve been very active on social media because I’m going through a transition period in my career, and that’s part of my job. So I don’t have an exact sense of the exact numbers, but there is definitely a strong Brazilian presence among my followers”.

MESSAGE TO FLAMENGO FANS

“The Nação Rubro-Negra has incredible energy, with a fantastic culture and mindset. Thank you all so much for the support! I hope you’re boxing fans now too, haha”.

HAVE YOU LEARNED ANY PHRASE IN PORTUGUESE YET?

“Joga Bonito! Let’s go”.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.