International Boxing Association, IBA organizes world boxing championships for women and men biennially. It is the world's best title for every amateur boxer next to Olympic medals. The IBA World Boxing Championship started in 2001 for women and so far 12 editions have been completed. They have 12 weight categories for women from 45-48kg to +81kg. There are many winners in each category and those women have made their nation proud. In this article, we will see the list of 5 Indian Women Boxers who won gold in women's World Boxing Championship and have marked their name in the history books.
Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018):
Mary Kom is an Amateur boxer hailing from Manipur and is an idol for many boxers across the world. She is popularly known as Magnificent Mary and is the only woman to win six golds in World Boxing Championship and the only amateur boxer to win eight world championship medals. She competes in atomweight (41kg) and flyweight (51kg) classes. She won gold in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018 in the world boxing championship and is one of the world's best boxers. She has also represented India in Olympics and has brought home a Bronze medal in 2018. She has been awarded with many awards and honors, some of them being Padma Vibhushan in 2020, Padma Bhushan (2013), Padma Shri (2006), Arjuna Award (2003), and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award (2009).
Sarita Devi (2006):
Laishram Sarita Devi is an amateur boxer also hailing from Manipur who won a gold medal in the 2006 World Boxing Championship in Lightweight category in New Delhi. She is currently working as DSP in the police department of Manipur. She started boxing from 2000 and represented India in many tournaments and has bagged many medals. She had also won bronze in the world boxing championship in 2005.
Jenny RL (2006):
Jenny R Lalremliani is also a North East Indian Amateur boxer from Mizoram. She also won Gold in the same year when India had a fruitful hosting of the world boxing championship. In 2006, Jenny RL won her first and only gold medal in the tournament in the light welterweight category at New Delhi. She has also won gold in Asian Championship in 2003 and 2005 and a bronze in 2001. Currently she works as a police officer in the police department of Mizoram.
Lekha KC (2006):
Lekha KC also has won gold in 2006 World Amateur Boxing Championship in 75kg weight class. She is from Kerala and was trained at Sports Authority of India at Kollam. She is also known for winning the National women's boxing championship six times in succession from 2001 to 2006. She has also participated in Asian Championship and has won gold and silver respectively in 2005 and 2008. She is also recipient of Dhyan Chand award for lifetime achievement in 2021.
Nikhat Zareen (2022):
Nikhat Zareen, a recent sensation in boxing scripted her name in history books by winning gold in World Boxing Championship in 2022 after 16 years. She is from Telangana and is only the fifth Indian to win a gold medal in the women's world boxing championship. She was also the winner of the women youth and Junior boxing championship in 2011. She became only the second Indian boxer after Mary Kom to win gold outside India by winning the World Boxing Championship in Turkey. She also won bronze in Asian Championship in 2019. Nikhat currently works in Bank of India when not boxing.
These were the golden girls of India who won gold in the World Boxing Championship and made India proud. There are many talents who are ready to join this elite list in the upcoming years and let's cheer for them.
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