Saweety Boora - from kabaddi player to world champion boxer

New Delhi: Saweety Boora, who clinched a gold medal in the 81kg category at the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, was a state-level kabaddi player before she switched her loyalties on the advice of her father. Mahender Singh, a farmer in Haryana's Hissar district, reckoned that Saweety excelled in an individual sport rather than a team sport.

Saweety initially had to overcome a lot of obstacles and resistance from relatives. 

Eventually, fighting against all odds over the years, Saweety has emerged into one of the country's top women boxers. She was a silver medal winner at the 2014 World Championships.

On Saturday, she did one better and emerged world champion.

The 30-year-old had won a gold medal at the Asian Championships in Jordan and also defended her national title at the Bhopal National Championships.

Major achievements

2023: Gold at IBA World Championships, Delh

2022: Gold at Asian Championships, Jordan

2021: Bronze at Asian Championships, Dubai

2018: Gold at Umakhanov Memorial Tournament, Kaspiysk, Russia

2014: Silver at Women's World Championships, South Korea, Silver

2015: Silver at Asian Women's Boxing Championships, China

(With inputs from IANS)