World Boxing Champions Lamboria Hooda Inspire Female Athletes with Dual Gold Wins

Two 24-year-old Haryana boxers, Jaismine Lamboria and Minakshi Hooda—daughters of working-class families—won gold at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool and urged girls not to give up on their dreams or be limited by gender. Lamboria, the 57kg champion, said past disappointments made this triumph feel surreal and credited a changed mindset, reduced pressure and family support for her success. Norwegian legend Cecilia “The First Lady” Braekhus has announced her final pro fight against Ema Kozin in Lillestrom, capping an 18-year career in which she unified all four belts, set multiple Guinness records and helped end Norway’s 33-year ban on professional boxing. Braekhus says she is leaving the sport “in great shape,” praising the next generation (including fighters such as Caroline Dubois and Katie Taylor), noting increased promoter interest and investment while acknowledging that a pay gap with men remains. In the U.S., Reading’s Stephanie Pineda won the 2025 USA Boxing National Open youth title in Tulsa—the first national champion from her gym and hometown—after long commutes and disciplined training, and now eyes elite selection and higher-level competition. Many observers—and Braekhus herself—say knowing when to stop is as much about timing as technique, and her planned farewell exemplifies the deliberate, emotionally difficult exit elite boxers must choose.