Meet Britain's first Sikh female pro boxer
In a quiet gym in Hull, a 13-year-old girl stood in the doorway, waiting for her younger brother to start his boxing session.
She had no gloves and no intention of joining in.
Eight years on, Charan Kaur Dhesi is now a professional boxer and a pioneer. At 21, she is the first British-born Sikh woman to join the paid ranks of boxing, breaking new ground for her sport and her community.
"I've created history and I've only just started," she tells BBC Sport.
Her journey has been far from easy, though. As a South Asian woman in a male-dominated sport, Dhesi has faced scepticism, cultural resistance and financial pressure.
But with every punch thrown, she's turned doubters into supporters.
"It was a lot of pressure to be the first woman from my community to do this but what can you say? Pressure makes diamonds," she adds.
- Sikh pro fighter 'honouring heritage'
- Becky Zerlentes – the first female boxer to die in fight in US
From the doorway to the England team
Raised in a sport-loving family, Dhesi grew up with two brothers and a father who championed physical activity over academia.
"My parents never pursued my studies, which people find crazy. They always pushed boxing," she says. "I've got two brothers. My dad grew all three of us up in sports."
But boxing wasn't part of the plan. Originally trained in karate, Dhesi discovered the sport by chance when her brother joined a local gym.
"I didn't have a clue what boxing was at first. It was my little brother who wanted to do it so I came here [to the gym] and I was just stood in the doorway when the coaches were urging me to join in."
She resisted at first but gave it a go and found something special.
"I just tried it one day and the coaches were all saying how good I am. From then I just carried it on. And then I got selected for the England team," she adds.
Making the Punjabi and Sikh community proud
From that day onwards, Dhesi never looked back. As a youth amateur, she collected three national titles, a European silver medal and three international crowns.
But it was never just about accolades. Dhesi wanted to break stereotypes by making the move into professional boxing.
However, turning pro brought new challenges and a fresh spotlight, particularly from within her own community.
"I was asked 'What if you get hurt, who will marry you?', 'Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?' – stuff like that, it was quite negative – and even, 'What's your plan B?'.
"But my plan A is boxing and my plan B is boxing," she says.
In May, Dhesi answered those questions with her fists when she made an immediate impact on her pro debut, winning by knockout. The clip went viral and so did her story.
"All of a sudden, the same people who were doubting my potential were praising me for making the Punjabi and Sikh communities proud," she adds.
"These people don't want to know you when you're working your way up but now they're, like, straight up on me. They've realised I put on a show and it's no joke. Boxing is my life."
Funded by parents and inspiring a generation
Dhesi's success may have created headlines but the day-to-day reality remains a grind. Without sponsorship, her entire career is still being funded by her parents.
"I don't work because I'm focused on training. So it's tough. I'm missing out on training opportunities, getting better kit, getting out as often," she says.
But for her, boxing has always been about more than belts or prize money. It's a platform to show pride in her roots and to open doors for others.
"There are so many Sikh girls that want to get into boxing. I've been approached at events and they'll ask how to get over the fear. And I'm like, 'Do you know what, girl? I'm going to show you how to do it and I'll give you all the help'," she says.
"Honestly, if a girl was to ask me for support – she could live in London or anywhere, I'd go there. That's what I want. I want more Sikh girls to be involved and Sikh boys as well."
One day, she hopes to open a gym of her own in the Midlands – not just to train fighters but to create a space where ambition outweighs expectation.
And her advice for the next generation of fighters – whether inside or outside the ropes – is unwavering.
"Just do it. You can do anything you put your mind to. As long as you believe in yourself, that's all that matters. Who cares what anyone else thinks?"
More boxing from the BBC
Boxing on Yahoo! Sports – News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games
