Boxer Meenakshi Hooda on her move to 51kg
Meenakshi Hooda was only 12 when she stepped into a boxing ring for the first time. Over the years, she has steadily turned her dreams into reality, climbing the ranks to become a world champion and recently extended her reign as World No. 1 in the 48kg category. But the World Championship title she won last year remains the defining moment of her journey that once began in a small village boxing centre. “Becoming a world champion is everyone’s dream, and it was my dream too. And when I did become one and stood on the podium, the Indian flag was at the top. That was the proudest moment of my life,” Meenakshi told The Bridge. The world champion has trained under Vijay Hooda for the last 12 years, believes coaches are the ones who understand athletes better than their own families. “My family doesn’t know much about boxing. So sometimes my parents and family only see that I didn’t win a medal. But my coach knows how much I have trained. He knows how …
