Tag Archives: Female Muslim Boxers of India

Asian Games 2023 boxing: Nikhat Zareen settles for bronze; Parveen Hooda secures Paris 2024 Olympic quota

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

India’s Nikhat Zareen bowed out in the women’s 50kg semi-final after losing 3:2 to Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat. Parveen Hooda is assured a medal in the women’s 57kg.

Nikhat Zareen 
(Boxing Federation of India (BFI))

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen finished her campaign in the women’s 50kg event with a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2023 boxing tournament in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China.

Nikhat Zareen lost her semi-final bout against Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat by a 3:2 split decision. Zareen and Raksat faced each other in the quarter-finals of the world championships earlier this year and the Indian boxer had come out on top then.

In Hangzhou, both Nikhat Zareen and Chuthamat Raksat started the bout cautiously, the two only able to land soft punches with measured jabs. In the final round, the Thai boxer managed some decisive hooks to take control and won the bout by the barest of margins.

“My experience was great. I had very good bouts in these Asian Games,” Nikhat said. “Today, unfortunately, I couldn’t win the semi-final match against Thailand. But it’s fine, I will take this as a learning lesson.

“I’ll definitely come back stronger. I’ll learn from my mistakes from this competition, and I definitely look forward to that.”

Earlier in the day, Parveen Hooda made it to the women’s 57kg semi-finals by defeating Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan by unanimous decision. The 23-year-old Indian boxer, by virtue of making the top four, secured a maiden Asian Games medal as well as a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics next year.

However, as National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

Boxing at the Asian Games 2023 is also a Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier event. In men’s events, the gold and silver medallists in each of the seven weight divisions will be issued a quota to Paris 2024. In the women’s categories, four quotas will be on offer for all categories other than the 66kg and 75kg, for which there will be two berths on offer like men’s.

Parveen Hooda will face Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Lamboria missed out on a medal after she lost by RSC (referee stops count) in the women’s 60kg quarters against Ungyong Won of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Indian boxer endured three standing counts in a space of one minute before the referee stopped the bout.

source: http://www.olympics.com / Olympics.com / Home / by Anurag Peesara / October 01st, 2023

Nagpur’s 19-year-old Alfiya Khan Pathan became the First-ever Maharashtra Woman Boxer to win Gold at ‘Asian Elite Boxing Championships (ASBC), Amman, Jordan

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Nagpur, MAHARASHTRA:

Nagpur's Alfiya Pathan 1st Maharashtra woman boxer to win Asian Championships gold

Nagpur:

City’s Alfiya Khan Pathan became the first-ever Maharashtra woman boxer to win a medal at the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships. On Friday, Alfiya won the gold medal in 81+kg category and is among the four Indian gold medal winners in the women’s section in Amman, Jordan.

Apart from Alifya, Saweety (81kg), Lovlina (75kg) and Parveen (63kg) won the yellow medals for India, 1 silver and  2 bronze. This is Indian women’s third-best performance at the prestigious tournament in terms of winning gold medals, after seven gold medals in 2005 and five in 2003.

The 19-year-old Nagpur girl was declared winner against Islam Husaili when the Jordan boxer was disqualfied by the referee for biting Alfiya on shoulder. Alfiya, the Youth World Champion, went all out from the word go and planted aggressive left-hand punches. The gold medal bout did not last even the full 3 minutes of the first round.

Southpaw Alfiya was so fierce that the Jordan boxer looked clueless in the first 1.5 minutes itself. After a series of  punches, Husaili came close to ensure Alfiya could not charge, and in the process bit Alfiya’s shoulder. She was immediately disqualified.

“I am super excited with the result. This is the result of efforts taken by Bhaskar Bhatt sir and his team in the national camp. We had prepared well and it turned out well,” said Afliya while talking to TOI from Jordan.

This result in the final was expected after Alfiya cruised past 2016 world champion Lazzat Kungeibayeva of Kazakhstan in a 5-0 win in the semis. This was the second time this year that Alfiya has defeated Lazzat, having stunned the Kazakh on her own turf in the Elorda Cup in July this year, in what was her senior international debut competition.

“It is an amazing performance by Indian women boxers. Winning four gold medals is a big achievement. It is a result of the hard work put in by Indian boxers, support staff and team in the camp,” chief coach Bhaskar Bhatt told TOI from Jordan. He added, “We got very good support at every juncture from BFI and SAI. We will continue similar practice pattern as we keep our eyes on the 2023 World Championship”.

Alfiya’s feat is a result of her rigorous training at the national camp under Bhatt. After winning the maiden senior category medal in July, Alfiya was called for the senior national camp considering her consistent show in junior, youth and senior international events.

Generally, a player is selected in the national camp on the basis of performance in the senior national championship. On very few occasions, boxers are included in the camp on other criteria, like it happened with Alfiya due to her Kazakhstan success.

Alfiya, who is a daughter of Akram Pathan, ASI at Nagpur Police Headquarters, is yet to play senior nationals but has two international gold medals including the Asian gold won on Friday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> News> Sports News> Boxing News (headline edited) / by Pratik Siddharth / TNN / November 12th, 2022

Elorda Cup: Indian boxer Alfiya stuns former world champ to clinch gold

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Nagpur, MAHARASHTRA :

India’s Alfiya Pathan and Gitika produced sensational performances to win gold medals in the Elorda Cup in Kazakhstan on Monday.

Alfiya in action. (File Photo)   –  SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

India’s Alfiya Pathan and Gitika produced sensational performances to win gold medals in the Elorda Cup in Kazakhstan on Monday.

On the other hand, Gitika, who hails from Rohtak, handed the country first gold by winning an intense all-Indian final against Kalaivani wherein both the boxers started off with an aggressive intent and kept attacking each other.  While they continued to exchange heavy punches, Gitika  effortlessly shifted the gears as the bout progressed and did enough in the end to tilt the result in her favour.

“It was a great feeling to win a gold medal in the first senior international tournament. This is a start; I want to win more medals at the senior level in international competitions,” Gitika said after her win.

Meanwhile, the 2019 World Championships bronze medallist Jamuna gave her all against Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova but ended up with a 0-5 loss in the 54kg final.

Alfiya and Gitika fetched themselves a prize money of USD 700 for their gold medal-winning feats while silver and bronze medal winners were awarded with USD 400 and USD 200 each respectively.

With the addition of two gold and as many silver medals on the final day, the Indian contingent also concluded their campaign with 14 medals, including 10 bronze, in the inaugural edition of the tournament.


Indian women boxers secured two gold, two silver and six bronze medals in the tournament which witnessed top players in action from strong boxing countries such as India, Uzbekistan, hosts Kazakhstan, Cuba, China and Mongolia.

Jyoti Gulia (52kg), Sakshi (54kg), Sonia Lather (57kg), Neema (63kg), Lalita (70kg) and Babita Bisht (81kg) were the six bronze medallists in the women’s category.

Among men, Kuldeep Kumar (48kg), Ananta Chopade (54kg), Sachin (57kg) and Jugnoo (92kg) claimed bronze medals.  

Medallists:
Women: (Gold) Gitika (48kg) and Alfiya Pathan (+81kg); (Silver) Kalaivani Srinivasan (48kg) and Jamuna Boro (54kg); (Bronze) Jyoti Gulia (52kg), Sakshi (54kg), Sonia Lather (57kg), Neema (63kg), Lalita (70kg) and Babita Bisht (81kg).

Men: (Bronze) Kuldeep Kumar (48kg), Ananta Chopade (54kg), Sachin (57kg) and Jugnoo (92kg).

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / SportStar / Home> More Sports> Boxing / by Team Sportstar / July 04th, 2022

Hyderabad: Burqa-clad women are the heroes in this boxing academy

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Hyderabad :

Considered to be one of the academy’s finest students, Amena (name changed) makes it a point to train at least for three hours a day. A burqa-clad woman, she resolved to break the shackles of the oppression that is often wrongly associated with the piece of clothing. She is 39-year-old and one of the fifteen women in this boxing school between the ages of 35-50.

Surprisingly enough, both Amena and her 15-year-old son Uzair train together. “The duo gives each other a good fight in the boxing ring,” said their coach Shaikh Aijaz Ahmed.

A national-level gold medalist himself, Aijaz Ahmed set up Golconda Boxing Academy in 2002 at Owaisi playground, Golconda and has been giving free coaching to all. “I believe that women must train for boxing, as it is best for self-defence. I am glad that more women are willing to learn boxing at my academy,” he said.

As many as 150 students are enrolled in the academy as of now. Of them, there are children, young girls and married women.

35-year-old Naseema Begum believes ‘hijab’ is not an excuse to quit learning new things. “It is all about dedication and enthusiasm for learning and productivity,” Begum says. “Even if we don’t participate in any tournaments, it at least keeps us healthy and fit,” said 41-year-old Najma Sultana, who trains with her 6-year-old granddaughter.

Many women prefer to take these classes as a break from their routine and also because the classes are given for free.

Young girls between the ages of 13 – 20, seen in a headscarf, give a tough fight to the boys. Many of them are very keen on taking boxing as their career ahead too. One of them is Afsha Shah, a 14-year-old, who is already making a mark. She took part in the national and state-level games and won prizes. “At times these girls give a tough time to me as well,” Ahmed laughs, saying it also builds their character.

youtube.com / The Siasat Daily

It was Ahmed’s grandfather Subedar Major Shaik Ahmed inspired him to continue the tradition. “My grandfather dreamt of these changes in the community. He was a great boxer and even served the Army. My father Shaik Abdul Gani, participated in national-level tournaments before he retired from the army in 1980. He set up this Golconda Boxing Association in 1990,” Ahmed added.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Nihad Amin edited by Sruthi Vibhavan / January 21st, 2021

Meet Shariya Manzoor: The boxer girl from Kashmir

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Nehama Village (Pulwama) Kashmir, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Shariya Manzoor displaying a medal she won during a competition. | Photo by arrangement

Twenty-year-old Shariya Manzoor from a restive region in Kashmir is a boxer whose passion for combat sports has earned her laurels. Her dream is to make it to the Olympics. 

Srinagar :

 A 20-year-old girl from South Kashmir’s Pulwama has brought laurels to her district—which is considered a hotbed of insurgency in Kashmir—by bagging a gold medal in youth games All India National Championship 2021.

Shariya Manzoor, a resident of Nehama village in Pulwama told TwoCircles.net that she and her family are extremely happy with her feat and she dreams of making it to the Olympics.

She is perhaps the first female boxer from South Kashmir and wishes to train many girls from the region.  

Achieving her goal wasn’t a cakewalk for a girl belonging from a restive region. She said she had to shed “blood and sweat” to make it possible. 

“Being a girl from Kashmir, there aren’t many platforms to explore sports and achieve success in it. During my journey, I realized why it is difficult for females to take part in sports, especially combat sports,” she said. 

Manzoor is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree from Government Degree College Pulwama. She, however, hopes to becoming a boxing champion.

Her father Manzoor Ahmad is a farmer and pools money from his pocket to support her daughter. 

“She has played in different parts of the country and every time, I had to arrange money to send her. The government doesn’t help her financially,” Ahmad said. 

A father of four daughters, Ahmad says it is very difficult for him to let her daughter follow her passion. 

“We live in a conservative society. Every day I had to hear from my friends and neighbours asking me not to send my daughter to play this sports,” Ahmad said.

But Ahmad doesn’t pay heed to their comments and says he wants her daughter to follow her passion.

Apart from fewer opportunities in sports for women in the region, Shriya said that she had to fight hard against “patriarchy” and “break the taboo.”

“A girl is seen in a different way when she chooses sports as her career. People stare at her when she is practising. I believe if a girl has to move forward in her career, she has to avoid and stay clear of these things,” she told TwoCircles.net.

She said that whatever she has achieved was not possible for her without the support of her family. “If your family is with you and supports you, nothing can stop you from achieving your ambition,” she said.

Boxing was her childhood passion
Manzoor has been passionate about boxing since her childhood. However, in absence of infrastructure and coaches, she had to face tough challenges in pursuing her passion. 

“When I chose boxing, there was no one to guide me. I used to practise at my home alone but I always wanted to be trained professionally,” she said.

Manzoor has won six medals at the national level, which include a medal she won at the Federation Cup and another one from the Youth All India National Championship 2021.

She doesn’t have anyone to guide her in this sport at present and takes training from a coach who is not from boxing background. 

“He is a Mixed Martial Art (MMA) coach but I take some tips from him,” Manzoor said. 

She travels over 13 kilometres every day for coaching and practices for over three hours. 

“I have to spend over Rs 4000 every month as travel expenses and my father gives me this money,” she added.   

She says she doesn’t have any idol but wants to become an idol for other girls in the region who want to pursue a career in sports. 

Manzoor said she faced hurdles and challenges all along her journey. “But I had faith in myself and Allah,” she remarks. 

Manzoor has won six medals at the national level, which include a medal she won at the Federation Cup and another one from the Youth All India National Championship 2021.

She has also won medals in the national Thang Soo Doo championship. “I have also won a silver medal at the state Taekwondo championships and participated in the belt wrestling championship,” she said. 

On 13 September 2021, Manzoor was facilitated with the “Kashmir Young Leadership Award” by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha during the Kashmir Leadership Summit here at SKICC Srinagar.

As many as 46 young achievers from various fields including health, education, sports, adventure sports, social work, journalism, environment conservation, Art, Music, Women empowerment, etc were awarded on the occasion.

Auqib Javeed is a journalist based in Kashmir. He tweets at @Auqib Javeed. 

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Auqib Javeed , TwoCircles.net / January 26th, 2022