Nagaon's Neelakshi Saikia becomes district's first national woman boxing referee

Neelakshi Saikia has brought laurels to Nagaon district by becoming its first woman to qualify as a national boxing referee.

Saikia achieved the distinction after successfully clearing the National Referee Examination conducted alongside the recently held Kaziranga Rhino Cup Professional Boxing League at the Golaghat Stadium.

The professional boxing league, organised by the Assam Boxing Association under the supervision of the Boxing Federation of India, marked the first-ever professional boxing league hosted in Assam.

The tournament witnessed participation from several states and Union Territories, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Goa and Ladakh.

Held in conjunction with the competition, the National Referee Examination provided aspiring officials an opportunity to earn national accreditation. By successfully passing the examination, Saikia not only secured national referee status but also created history as the first woman from Nagaon district to attain the qualification.

Her achievement has been widely welcomed by the sporting community in Nagaon, with many describing it as a significant milestone for women's participation in sports officiating and boxing administration in the district.

The accomplishment is expected to inspire more young women from the region to pursue careers in sports beyond competition, including refereeing, coaching and sports management.