Karachi: When she first started boxing, Pakistani teen Aaliya Soomro had to fight inside and outside the boxing arena to earn acceptance as a boxer in her society.
Soomro, 16, hails from the impoverished Karachi borough of Lyari Town.
Her father is a daily wage labourer and her family has gone to bed hungry on many occasions.
But the inspired teenager is not letting anything stop her from pursuing her dream of making it to international boxing championships.
It was hard for her at the beginning to earn respect as a boxer in her society, where boxing remains a male-dominated sport.
"I felt some awkwardness as boys taunted me, it was unacceptable for them that a girl is going to be a boxer," she said.
"When I became a boxer, then they accepted it. However, it is time to stand up and change the mindset of the community," she added.
Soomro says her inspiration comes from legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who riveted the world with his performances.
She wants to go on to win international championships and hopes that she will encourage other girls to follow their passion, even if it breaks with traditional norms.
Her coach Nawab Ali Baloch says there has been an increasing interest in boxing among local youth and wishes the government would do more to support them.
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