Rohtak girl braves all odds, becomes boxing world champion

When Minkashi Hooda of Rurki village in Rohtak district recently clinched the gold medal in the 48-kg weight category at the World Boxing Championship held in Liverpool, England, she not only created history, but also brought a positive change in the psyche of the villagers.

Daughter of an auto-rickshaw operator Shrikrishan Hooda, Minakshi has come a long way and become a role model for the younger girls and budding boxers by making her presence felt at the international level.

“Nearly 8-10 girls of the village have started coming for training with much enthusiasm after Minakshi won the World Boxing Championship just about a fortnight ago,” says Minakshi’s basic coach Vijay Hooda, who trains village children, mostly girls, in boxing at a local stadium.

Coach Hooda recalls that in the beginning, the village residents disapproved the idea of girls joining sports such as boxing, and even Minakshi’s father was reluctant in allowing her to practise the sport.

“But as she performed well, her father was convinced and started supporting her. Gradually, with Minakshi and other girls of the village shining at the national and international levels, the mindset of the villagers has also changed considerably,” says the coach.

He remarks that Minakshi’s dedication to the sport and her strict self-discipline had taken her to such height in the world of boxing.

“Minakshi always used to reach 30-45 minutes before the time fixed for practice and stayed for some more time afterwards. This has made the difference,” says Hooda.

Meanwhile, Minakshi attributes her success to the unflinching support of her basic coach Vijay Hooda, her parents and her never-say-die attitude despite the odds.

“Parents always support their children. I have also got the backing of my parents. But I was fortunate to get the guidance of Vijay sir, my basic coach, who has been training and supporting me ever since I joined boxing at the age of 12 in 2013,” she states.

Minakshi has two elder sisters and a younger brother. However, she is the only one from her family who chose a sporting career. She got constant support from her mother Sunita, a housewife.

Asked to say a word of advice for the youngsters and aspiring sportspersons, the star boxer asserts that working hard with devotion towards one’s goal always leads to success.

“When we have chosen our field, we must give it our best. Failures will come, but ultimately, we will succeed if our focus is clear and dedication profound. Keeping our faith intact and not getting demotivated by adverse circumstances and challenging situations hold the key to success,” observes the 24-year-old pugilist.

Minakshi is at present serving as a Constable with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force, a job she got by virtue of her sporting achievements.

Questioned about the impact of taunts and discouraging remarks of people, she quips: “Log to baat karenge hi. Aaapko apne par bharosa hona chahiye. Agar goal clear hai aur lagatar mehnat karte hain toh jeet ko koi rok nahi sakta (People will talk. One should have faith in oneself. Nobody can stop us if our goal is clear and we put in persistent efforts to achieve it).”

“We also want to be like Minakshi didi and bring laurels to our state and country as she has done,” say Rashi, Mannat, Simran, Jyoti and other girls of Rurki village, all of whom are in the age-group of 8-10 years and have started undergoing training for boxing on seeing Minakshi’s resounding success.