Ringing in a revolution: Rudraneil Sengupta on India’s women boxers

With a new federation in place, they’re fighting and winning at elite levels. It’s a testament to the talent in this country, and the power of adequate support.

The rich haul of four gold medals at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, which concluded in Delhi last week, proves that India’s fighters are serious contenders at the top level. This is great news, because just five or six years ago, a fading MC Mary Kom was still India’s best prospect in women’s boxing, the boxing federation was mired in factional politics and it had been banned by the international governing body for the sport.

Then a change began.