When they batted and bowled to glory, these women punched their way to notice

When she was successful Class VIII, P. Anitha learnt however it feels to deterioration the boxing gloves. She fell for the athletics hook, jab and cross. Eking retired a surviving moving a petty shop, her parents allowed her to prosecute boxing connected 1 condition: she would bent up the gloves erstwhile she completed schooling and started collegiate education. Anitha agreed to the information backmost then, but did not comply with it. Today, her parents are gladsome she did not.

Sangeetha R. had the thoroughfare combatant successful her, and would get into brawls astatine the driblet of a hat. The streets of Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar successful Perumbur being tough, Sangeetha’s parent Dilli Rani feared for her daughter’s safety. And she decided to transmission the girl’s pugnacity into the boxing ring. Today, the mother’s determination has been vindicated.

Anitha and Sangeetha marque up the winsome six of the women’s boxing squad astatine Agurchand Manmull Jain College successful Meenambakkam. They did their assemblage and families arrogant by winning medals astatine the C.M. Trophy State Boxing Championship 2025 held astatine Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

All of them had much than competitors successful the boxing ringing to beat. They had financial, societal and taste likelihood to beat.

Anitha relocated from a distant colony successful Madurai one-and-a-half years agone aft clearing the ‘TALENT’ programme conducted by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT). The youngest of 3 sisters, Anitha hails from a societal milieu wherever girls were joined disconnected early, successful their aboriginal twenties. Anitha persuaded her parents to fto her pursuit her dreams. “Give maine 3 much years,” she asked them.

Twenty-two-years-old now, Anitha has won golden successful the C.M. Trophy State Boxing Championship successful 2024 and 2025, too different accomplishments astatine the assemblage and nationalist level.

“I privation a authorities job, due to the fact that that would alteration maine to not lone settee down, but besides let maine to proceed with boxing,” says Anitha, present successful the 2nd twelvemonth of a bachelors people successful Criminology and Criminal Justice Science.

Sangeetha R., who won the metallic medal successful 51-54 kg class and a currency prize of ₹75,000, has been relentless successful the pursuit of boxing glory. She has the backing of her mother, Dilli Rani, a azygous genitor who works arsenic a tailor.

As a Class IV student, Sangeetha got introduced to boxing. The beginnings were modest, her manager grooming her successful the street. In higher secondary school, she started participating successful tournaments and it was during a tourney astatine Erode, a manager asked her to look for the SDAT hostel selections. And she was connected the way to recognition.

With the currency prize she won past twelvemonth winning metallic successful the CM Trophy, Sangeetha bought her parent a Scooty. “When I was successful Class XI, my parent utilized to instrumentality maine successful her rhythm to the ICF Club. I had to scope the nine by 5 a.m. for practice. The streets utilized to beryllium pitch-dark and often, we would beryllium the lone radical connected the road, heading to the venue. So erstwhile I won the currency prize I decided this was the slightest I could springiness my ma for each that she has done for me,” says 18-year-old Sangeetha.

Rigorous training

The six girls successful Agurchand Manmull Jain College’s women’s boxing squad commencement their time early, taking up signifier from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. aft which they caput to college. In the evening, they again practise for 2 hours. Ahead of a tournament, the signifier sessions get longer.

The girls are grateful for the changeless information fixed by their boxing manager “J. Narmada maam” from SDAT and the immense enactment they person from the college.

“I expected immoderate interest waiver arsenic I won medals but ne'er expected truthful overmuch enactment from the assemblage and the Department of Physical Education. They adjacent springiness america a nutrient paper of ₹ 70 that we tin avail,” says Sangeetha, dreaming of making the metropolis arrogant with her punches.