Daughter of an autorickshaw driver, Minakshi Hooda becomes world boxing champion in women’s 48kg category with historic win over Kazakh rival.
LIVERPOOL: India is celebrating a new champion as Minakshi Hooda created history by winning gold in the Women’s 48kg category at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. The 24‑year‑old boxer from Rohtak, Haryana, stunned the global boxing community with her gritty 4‑1 split decision win over Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay — a two‑time world champion and Olympic medallist.
This Minakshi Hooda boxing win was not just a gold medal but also a sweet moment of redemption. Kyzaibay had defeated Hooda in the final of the World Cup earlier this year. Coming into this bout, Hooda was the underdog. But with sheer determination, tight technique, and relentless focus, she turned the tables on her more experienced opponent.
“I trained like my life depended on this bout,” Minakshi said after the win. “I knew I had it in me. I just needed to believe it.”
Hooda’s journey has captured hearts back home. Her father, an auto‑rickshaw driver, raised her in the village of Rurki in Haryana’s Rohtak district. Against all odds, she fought her way to the top, showing what can happen when talent meets opportunity.
This Minakshi Hooda boxing win also contributed to India’s most successful performance at a World Championship abroad. Alongside Hooda’s gold, Jaismine Lamboria won the 57kg final to bag another gold, Nupur Sheoran secured silver in the 80+kg category, and Pooja Rani took home bronze in 80kg.
Indian boxers are now firmly on the global map, and Hooda’s triumph sends a message to young athletes across the country: with enough courage and discipline, global success is within reach.
With the Paris Olympics looming, this win sets up Minakshi Hooda as one of India’s strongest medal hopes. Her rise is proof that the new face of Indian boxing is bold, fearless, and ready to take on the world.
