Vietnam's first world champ punching out of poverty

Gutsy ring warrior also giving sexism the old one-two

HO CHI MINH CITY－From her youth spent scraping a living on the streets, Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi has battled poverty and sexist prejudice to become Vietnam's first boxing world champion.

The 25-year-old scored an enormous upset over defending champion Etsuko Tada of Japan in October to claim the World Boxing Organization mini-flyweight belt in just her fifth professional fight.

It was a remarkable triumph for an athlete who rose from humble beginnings in a conservative society where women's participation in sports－especially combat events－is often sneered at.

Nhi's journey began when she turned to boxing as a 13-year-old struggling with her grades at school.

Spotting raw talent, a coach told Nhi she had the potential to make the city team.

Living in a tiny house with nine family members in a gritty part of Ho Chi Minh City, Nhi dedicated herself completely to her training, desperate to find a route out of her tough surroundings.

"I wanted to earn more money, so I tried to train hard," she told AFP.

"I had no time to go out and have fun. I was training almost every day of the week."