Bangladesh and Pakistan joined to the Asian woman boxing

Bangladesh and Pakistan joined to the Asian women boxing community

The boxing tournament of the South Asian Games finished with the women and men finals in Shillong, India last week which was a big multisport event for the region best boxers. India dominated all of the weight classes and won the three historical women gold medals. Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, Sarita Devi Laishram and Pooja Rani won their categories but Pakistan and Bangladesh joined to the Asian women boxing community in this South Asian Games.

Bangladesh sent three women boxers to the South Asian Games at the very first time which is a big commitment from the Muslim country. The first edition of the Bangladesh women’s boxing event was held in 2012 and since then their female athletes can box in the home competitions. Bangladesh had more than 40 women boxers in their national elite events and has got also youth and junior competitors.

Their first appearance in the international level was the boxing tournament of the South Asian Games where Bangladesh achieved two bronze medals. Their 19-year-old Shamina Akhter began boxing in 2012 and she is their most experienced athlete in the woman squad who claimed bronze medal and lost to only India’s icon Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte in the semi-finals. Bangladesh’s second medal was delivered by Basona Khandokr at the Middleweight class (75 kg).

Pakistan’s woman boxing life formed only in the middle part of the current Olympic era and the Indian star Mary Kom inspired them to take up boxing. The ladies informed their families and friends about their boxing career but it was not an easy for them to start the combat sport and their road to the trainings was a real challenge. Their young women boxers began boxing in the beginning of 2015 and only after one year of experience the boxers could show their skills in the South Asian Games.

Pakistan’s former AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Nauman Karim is their coach in the national team. Their Flyweight class (51 kg) boxer 23-year-old Khoushleem Bano missed to get medal in the South Asian Games but she has got from now international experience. Rukhsana Parveen was bronze medallist with the Pakistan World Cup Kabaddi team and now she claimed also bronze in the boxing tournament of the South Asian Games. Their youngest team member 20-year-old Sofiya Javed claimed bronze medal in the South Asian Games in Shillong. Mary Kom asked them “Keep fighting and never give up halfway”.

Afghanistan also sent two women boxers to the South Asian Games the Rahimi sisters but their elite female athletes are usual participants in the various ASBC and AIBA events since 2011 and the country is planning to send an athlete to the AIBA Asian & Oceania Olympic Qualifiers as well.