\n<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But it was never just about accolades. Dhesi wanted to break stereotypes by making the move into professional boxing.<\/p>\n
However, turning pro brought new challenges and a fresh spotlight, particularly from within her own community.<\/p>\n
“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?’. <\/p>\n
“But my plan A is boxing and my plan B is boxing,” she says.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n