Somini Sengupta has a great piece in The New York Times on women and boxing in India:
In India, Women See Boxing as a Way Up
TRIVANDRUM, India — “The girls punched hard.
“From across India they came to this big, steamy government-run gym. Before entering the boxing ring, they bowed their heads to the floor, as though entering a temple. A sweet-shop owner’s daughter let loose a right hook. A construction worker’s daughter leaned against the rope, streams of sweat dripping from her face. Bouncing, ducking, like a grasshopper on speed, was a short girl from Calcutta with close-set eyes; she had forsaken her sister’s wedding for a chance to come here and fight. The thud of glove against glove echoed against the cavernous walls.
“In a country with numerous obstacles for them, young women are gearing up to punch in the big league. . .”
