Mahindra Automotive Becomes Title Sponsor of IBA Women's World Boxing Championships

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on Monday unveiled India’s leading SUV manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd as the Title Sponsor for the Championships along with legendary MC Mary Kom and Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar were announced as the brand ambassadors of the Mahindra IBA Women’s World Championships 2023, scheduled from March 15 to 26 at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi.

India is hosting the event for the third time in the history and the country is set to be gripped by boxing fever as several top-notch pugilists are headlining the Championships.

Ajay Singh, President, Boxing Federation of India said, “We are delighted to welcome Mahindra Automotive as our lead sponsor. BFI and Mahindra share a common vision of women empowerment through sport and I am happy to see them as our partner in this mission. And the presence of Mary Kom and Farhan Akhtar as the brand ambassadors for the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships will add immense value to our mission of encouraging women participation in boxing. Mary Kom is a legend of our sport and Farhan Akhtar is a Bollywood icon who has made several inspiring sports movies including one about boxing. The association with these two youth icons will enhance the prestige of this World Championship and help in the promoting the sport across the country. The event will also help showcase to the world India’s potential as a host for big global tournaments.”

The partnership is in line with Mahindra Group’s initiatives to empower women in fields such as sports. Mahindra has partnered with the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, with the XUV300 TGDi and All-New Thar as official SUVs for the event. This collaboration offers Mahindra a unique opportunity to showcase its commitment to excellence, innovation, and performance, all of which align with the women boxing values. Additionally, Mahindra will be hosting exciting contests for customers to enjoy the championship and create unforgettable memories. Mahindra is proud to extend this association to Indian women boxers in their quest for glory on the global stage during the tenure of the sponsorship.

Veejay Nakra, President – Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, "We are delighted to be associated with the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, which is a significant step towards promoting women's boxing globally. We acknowledge the tremendous growth in viewership and followers of women's boxing over the years, as it reiterates the belief of people that women embody strength, resilience, and toughness in the face of challenges. As a company dedicated to promoting diversity and empowering women, we are honored to be associated with this groundbreaking sport and its athletes. Our SUVs, such as the Thar and XUV300 TGDi, symbolize the tenacity and determination that women display, and we are thrilled to be a part of their journey."

Mary Kom, a bronze medallist in the London Olympics, is the most decorated boxer in the history of Women’s World Championships, having clinched the title six times along with a silver and bronze.

“India is hosting the World Championships for the third time and it is a special and rare honour. It will underline India’s strength as a sporting nation in front of a global audience. I am delighted to be a part of this tournament and I am certain that this will be a golden page in India’s sporting history,” said Mary Kom.

A biopic depicting Mary Kom’s journey in 2014 put boxing on a big screen and also encouraged country’s women to take up boxing. On the other hand, Farhan Akhtar—a passionate sports lover, also popular for his lead roles in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Toofaan, which showcased the journey of a boxer.

During the event, Farhan will engage with the boxers and will spread the excitement of the tournament through his social media handles too.

Talking about his association, Farhan Akhtar said: “I am honoured and excited to be a part of such a prestigious event. It is a matter of personal pride that India is hosting the World Boxing championship for Women. My love for the sport goes back long before I started training for my film, Toofaan, and now to be here celebrating this event is a wonderful feeling. As an avid sport lover, I have followed the journey of our girls, cheered and applauded every time they brought glory to India in this sport! I hope that all of you will watch the exciting bouts and get inspired by these women from around the world. I would also like to give a special mention to BFI who are doing a tremendous job by encouraging and supporting women in the field of boxing. And finally, good luck to all the players participating in this event. Todun taak!”

A total of 350 plus boxers from 74 countries have registered so far for the biennial event which has a prize pool of INR 20 crore for the very first time.

About Mahindra

Founded in 1945, the Mahindra Group is one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership position in farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality, and real estate.

The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

Learn more about Mahindra on www.mahindra.com / Twitter and Facebook: @MahindraRise/ For updates subscribe to https://www.mahindra.com/news-room.

About Boxing Federation of India

Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is the governing body of Boxing in India. BFI’s athlete first approach helped the Indian pugilist’s remarkable journey of growth and dominance in becoming world-beaters and history-makers. Led by Mr Ajay Singh as president of BFI , it is under his guidance that BFI has managed to grow leaps and bounds. Indian boxing’s global ranking has catapulted from 44th a few years back to becoming World No 3 in 2023 as per the latest IBA World Team Rankings . With two Olympic Medals, Indian boxers have won 16 Elite World Championships medals across men’s and women’s categories since 2016 and have 140 medals to their name since 2008 in top international events. BFI had the privilege of hosting the prestigious Women’s World Championships thrice now, most by any country and they have also hosted Youth Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2017. Nurturing young talents through various developmental programmes and providing necessary exposure across all age categories have been a priority for the Federation. India has excelled in the junior and youth level categories too having 22 medals from the last two Youth World Championships. Our continuous efforts have garnered tremendous results in last few years. The Indian teams have been consistently finishing in top 5 counties at most global and multinational tournaments such as Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships. The Indian boxers have won an unprecedented 16 medals in the last two Commonwealth Games.

Follow on Instagram: @bfi_official_ | Twitter: @BFI_official | and Facebook: @BoxingFederationIndia for all live updates on the Mahindra IBA World Women Boxing Championships.