Who Is Alfiya Khan Pathan? Nagpur's First Female Boxer To Play International Matches

Alfiya Tarannuam Khan Pathan or popularly known as Alfiya Khan Pathan is the first female boxer from Nagpur who has competed in international championships. The 18-year-old had a winning streak in 2021; She won medals at the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Youth World Boxing Championship in April and Adriatic Peral Tournament in February last year, making her one of the most promising women boxers in the country currently.

The southpaw boxer, since her venture into boxing in 2017, has won a bevvy of medals including, two golds, two silvers and a bronze medal in national tournaments.

Who Is Alfiya Khan Pathan?

Hailing from Nagpur’s Mankapur region, Alfiya Khan Pathan was born to parents Akram Khan and Nurjahan on February 18, 2003. Her father Akram Khan is an assistant sub-inspector in Nagpur. Both her brothers are athletes: one brother plays throwball, the other is a boxer and has won medals in national tournaments.

The 18-year-old boxer, who idolises Indian Boxing champion Mary Kom, was first inspired by a biopic on the pugilist which released in 2014. Khan started her training at the age of 14 under National Institute of Sports (NIS) coach Ganesh Purohit who also coaches her brother. She was earlier getting trained in badminton at a sports complex in Nagpur, her native, where her brother Shaqib was learning the sport. Watching him play intensified her inclination towards the spot.

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Alfiya, in an interview, mentioned that her father was not pleased with her pursuing boxing and eventually gave in. She added that her father is now her biggest supporter. She is the first woman in her family to box.

Alfiya Khan Pathan is also the first boxer from Nagpur who was a part of the Indian junior team for an international tournament. The sportsperson said to a publication that boxing is not very famous in Nagpur; she hopes to win more medals to inspire more women to take up boxing, she added. Pathan was the first boxer from Nagpur who got a Khelo India sponsorship in 2018.

The Junior Women’s Nations Cup, Serbia in 2018, was her first international tournament; she won a silver medal at the tournament. She went on to win medals in the Indian Women’s School National Games and in the Women’s Junior National Championships. She was also part of the Indian team for the Fujairah 2019 ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships where she won a gold medal.