India, Nov. 17 -- Ahaana Sharma was 10 when she first visited her father's gym in Delhi's Maujpur. A professional bodybuilder in his younger years, Naveen Sharma couldn't make it big in his time but nursed the desire to turn his kids into athletes. Fascinated by youngsters flaunting ripping muscles and lifting heavy, Ahaana took an instant liking to weights. After an early fling with powerlifting, she found her calling in boxing.

Chandrika Pujari's foray into boxing was a little different. Then 11, she was lured into a boxing academy close to their home in Pune and was instantly hooked. Born to a family of modest means -- her father works as an office boy at a kids' store -- her parents were skeptical about Chandrika attending SAI trials...