INDIAN WOMEN CREATE HISTORY WITH SEVEN GOLD MEDALS

Indian women boxers put up a great show at the 2021 AIBA Youth Men’s and Women’s World Boxing Championships as they won seven gold medals in Kielce, Poland. All the women finalists in action on Thursday—Gitika (48kg) Naorem Babyrojisana Chanu (51kg), Poonam (57kg), Vinka (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (69kg), T Sanamacha Chanu (75kg) and Alfiya Pathan (+81kg)—registered wins and finished on the top of the podium. The Indian women’s team also finished as the number one in the championship ahead of Russia with seven gold medals.

Asian Youth Champion Sanamacha, who trains at boxing great MC Mary Kom’s academy in Imphal, added the historic sixth gold for India when she outperformed Kazakhstan’s Dana Diday 5-0 in the 75kg final.

Later, young boxing sensation from Maharashtra Alfiya clinched the seventh gold for the country as she stunned a strong contender European youth champion Moldova’s Daria Kozorez 5-0 in the final.

“This has been an amazing effort from our youth boxers, especially when the players had to be confined at home for most part of the last year and only make do with online training sessions. Our coaches and support staff did a stellar job despite the limitations and challenges. I congratulate all the winners on this unprecedented medal haul. This achievement is a testament of the talent we have in the upcoming generation of Indian boxing,” said Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh while talking about the unprecedented medal haul by India at the championships.