It was deep-rooted patriarchy versus her father, Jai Bhagwan’s, resolve in Haryana’s Dhanana village when Nitu picked up the gloves in 2012 and at the end of the long-drawn bout, the young boxer has emerged triumphant.

“It was not considered nice for girls to be very outgoing or ambitious in our village. So, yes, there were a few things said when I started,” the 48kg category boxer said from Sofia, Bulgaria, recalling her journey after winning a gold on debut at the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament on Sunday. The lanky pugilist said that despite the many challenges, she could always count on her father to steer her boxing dreams since he was as convinced about them as she was.