How India’s first women boxing world champs landed the big punches

They are pioneers of women’s boxing who made a mark when the sport was taking baby steps. Two of them – MC Mary Kom and Sarita Devi – are household names but KC Lekha and RL Jenny are rarely mentioned. All the four won gold when India hosted the world championships for the first time here in 2006, six years before women’s boxing made its Olympic debut in London.

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Mary Kom had rapidly risen, winning gold in 2002 and 2005 and India was staging the fourth edition. The hosts won four gold, one silver and three bronze, and it was the best advertisement for women’s boxing in India. Indian boxers haven’t looked back since. Mary Kom won bronze in the London Olympics and Lovlina Borgohain bronze at Tokyo in 2021.

As the latest championships is on, the pioneers of 2006 look back on their early days. For Lekha, 41, and Jenny, 39, a government job and family took precedence while Mary Kom, 40, is still not officially retired.

“It feels great to see women’s boxing in India doing so good,” says Jenny, who is a police officer in Mizoram. “We are proud we contributed to the success of the sport.”

Jenny (63kg) and Lekha (75kg and +81kg) are nine-time national champions and medallists in the Asian Championships.

“We had such passion and hunger to win medals for the country. Family, friends, everything took a backseat. There were few facilities at camps, but we never complained,” says Lekha, an officer in the Kerala finance department based in Thiruvananthapuram.

Lekha recalls how the Indian squad scrambled to reach the first worlds in Scranton, United States. “We thought we won’t be able to compete. There was a problem in getting visa. We got it very late and rushed to the airport. After a 24-hour flight we reached just hours before the start of the championships. From the airport, we went straight to the arena. I had my bout so just changed into my gear and there I was competing in the first world championships. I lost to a Canadian boxer by just two points; she went on to win a medal.”

Mary Kom opened the account for India, winning silver in 45kg. “The drive, the hunger we had in those days was something different,” says the six-time world champion. “It’s like ‘once I am in the ring, I have to win at any cost’.”

When India hosted, the young brigade was determined to make it a success. Lekha lost many kilos to enter 75kg because the coaches felt she stood a better medal chance. “I used to be in superheavy because I was around 89kg... We would train three times a day. The only thing in my mind was a world medal,” says Lekha.

“When the four of us became world champions at the Talkatora Stadium, it was such a great feeling. There was good crowd support, but nobody knew that India had four world champions. There was no social media like today. But we were so happy.”

Jenny too recalls that crowning moment.

“Women’s boxing was not in the Olympics, so becoming world champion was the biggest achievement. Seeing my name, and the Indian flag being raised, was so emotional,” says Jenny. “We had seen tough times. We didn’t even have enough punching bags to train. Our camps would be in Delhi, Bengaluru, Patiala. We used to clean the place, put up a ring and train. At some centres there was no gym, so coaches would arrange weights. But all of us, coaches and boxers, were like one big family. So many times there were issues in selection, or only a few weight categories got permission for internationals, but we stood by each other.”

A midnight run

They were not averse to taking on the administrators though. Lekha recalls how she, Mary Kom and Sarita left a camp in Hissar, Haryana at midnight because the facilities were bad. “It was a camp for the Asian Championships. It was very hot and organisation was so bad; there was no water. So, we left the camp and came to Delhi in the middle of the night. The federation officials called the next morning, spoke to us and shifted the camp to Patiala,” says Lekha.

The interesting thing was boxing just happened to them. Lekha was into athletics in school and college. When Chennai hosted the first women’s national championships, she attended a one-day camp and was selected in the Kerala state team.

“Women’s boxing was starting in the country and the state was looking for boxers. Someone asked me if I was interested. I didn’t know the rules, just had power and was strong. I had played many sports at school and that helped.”

Lekha won gold for Kerala and in no time was in the national camp preparing for the first worlds in the US.

Jenny grew up playing contact sport, making things easier. “Contact sport is part of our culture and we had some good boxers in Mizoram, so I learned faster."

Lekha and Jenny regret not going to the Olympics.

“In 2012, I was expecting my first child,” says Lekha. The Chinese girl (Jinzi Li) who won the middleweight bronze in London, I beat her in the final of the 2006 world championships.”

Jenny retired from the sport six years ago. “There were few weight categories in the Olympics at that time and it was very hard for me.”

But the boxing bond is cherished.

“We’ve some very good memories. So, whenever we meet – Mary, Sarita, Lekha – we speak for hours. It does not matter if we have not in months.” says Jenny.

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