"The truth is I’m not afraid of the punches that I sustain during the fight or training — now I enjoy them, it means I’m in the game,” says Pakistan’s record-making boxer Fatima Zahra, revealing what it feels like to pursue a passion-driven career in a society that deems boxing to be unsuitable for a girl.

The eight-time national champion and the 2025 National Games gold medallist is currently competing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where she has already ensured herself a bronze at least, thus becoming the first Pakistani woman to bag a medal for the country in her sport. She dominated the opening bout in the round of 16 against her opponent from Lesotho and won it on a technical knockout. At the time of writing, she had also won the quarter-final.

This was her first international outing since the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in November, when she registered her first international win and became the first Pakistani woman to win a medal at that event, opening her country’s tally on the medal table in Riyadh with a bronze.

Fatima Zahra, who has already ensured a medal at the Commonwealth Games for Pakistan in boxing, has been undefeated nationally since 2021. But international medals had eluded her, until she turned it around at the Islamic Solidarity Games last year

Fatima Zahra, who has already ensured a medal at the Commonwealth Games for Pakistan in boxing, has been undefeated nationally since 2021. But international medals had eluded her, until she turned it around at the Islamic Solidarity Games last year

The journey to get an international medal was a long one.

Even though she remained undefeated on the national circuit in the featherweight category ever since she began boxing in 2021, Fatima only had a series of losses to her credit at global events.

“I remember that, before going to Riyadh for the Islamic Solidarity Games, I had a very heavy heart and a very distressed mind,” Fatima tells Eos. “It was a point in my life where I was very disheartened, because I hadn’t been able to deliver the results I had hoped for on the international........

© Dawn (Magazines)