“If everyone goes behind cricket, who will play other sports?”
This simple yet sharp question from Shraddha Rangharh, a 20-year-old kickboxer from Faridabad, cuts through the noise of India’s cricket-drenched sports culture. And she’s not just asking — she’s answering it with every medal, every kick, and every fight she wins.
Ranked World No. 5 in kickboxing, Shraddha is doing more than just representing India — she’s redefining what it means to rise against the odds.
No Coach. No Sponsors. No Problem.
Shraddha’s journey didn’t begin with cheering crowds or fancy gyms. It started in a conservative household in Haryana where even education for girls was seen as a luxury, not a right. “They believed letting me study was something they were giving me, not something I deserved,” she shares.
Sports? That was even more far-fetched.
Till sixth grade, Shraddha kept her love for sports bottled up — sneaking joy from kabaddi, cricket, and football when she could. But things began to change when she was 13, kicking a ball on the school ground, when a taekwondo coach noticed her powerful legwork and invited her to join.
That moment became her tipping point.
Martial Arts and a Spark of Destiny
Taekwondo became her first structured sport. She trained in silence, won her first gold at a CBSE national championship, and let that medal speak where words couldn’t. “That’s when I knew — I wasn’t just playing. I belonged in sports.”
At 14, Shraddha stumbled upon videos on YouTube — not dance trends or prank clips, but “tricking”, a blend of martial arts, acrobatics, and gymnastics. With no coach, no funds, and no family support, she taught herself — move by move, flip by flip — through the screen.
“I didn’t even have proper training gear. I’d earn Rs 100 during Navratri as a kanjak and save every penny for tournament registrations,” she recalls. Most teens were asking for birthday gifts; Shraddha was funding her dream with divine offerings and unmatched hustle.
Social Media: From Survival to Spotlight
In 2020, Shraddha turned to social media — not to chase fame, but to build a platform for underdog athletes like her. Her training videos, especially in musical and creative kickboxing forms, struck a chord. She wasn’t just kicking — she was synchronising her movements to music, blending power with poetry.
Her follower count exploded to 1.75 million. Soon, brands came calling, and collaborations helped fund her tournaments. That’s where Piyush Kumar from ART Talent Management discovered her. “We were looking for raw talent — and Shraddha was it,” he says.
With Piyush managing her online presence and deals, Shraddha could finally breathe — and focus on training, not surviving.
From National Glory to Global Goals
In 2023, Shraddha made her kickboxing debut at the National Championship and walked away with two gold medals. No surprises there. But 2024 is where the game got real: the WAKO World Cup and the Asian Kickboxing Championships were scheduled back-to-back — a whirlwind of preparation, travel, and pressure.
Her training? Relentless.
5 am to 10 am: cardio and technique.
1 pm to 3 pm: footwork.
Evening: gym or sparring.
And between all this? She’s still juggling college exams.
Shraddha doesn’t just train hard — she trains smart. “I visualise the venue. I play it in my head. I walk through the routine until it becomes muscle memory,” she explains.
In the World Cup, she snagged one gold and three silvers. The Asian Championship? Two golds, two silvers — in categories dominated by martial arts powerhouses like China, Thailand, and the Philippines.
“She hates silver,” laughs Piyush. “Gold is her peace.”
Shattering Stereotypes, One Kick at a Time
Shraddha’s fight isn’t just in the ring. “People told me I ‘run like a girl’ — like it’s an insult. And now, when I win, they say I ‘fight like a boy.’ Why can’t strength just be strength?” she asks.
She fights boys. She beats boys. She does it not to prove she’s better, but to prove she belongs — not in someone else’s shadow, but in a spotlight of her own.
What’s Next? A Golden Vision
With her eyes locked on the 2025 World Championship, Shraddha is leaving nothing to chance. “No Indian has won gold in that event. I want to be the first,” she declares, not as a dreamer, but as someone who’s already halfway there.
She’s eyeing new training with Italian coaches and seeking sponsors to keep up with the rising costs — ₹2 lakhs for a single international championship, plus additional fees per category. It’s a steep climb. But if anyone can scale that summit, it’s her.
And through all this, Shraddha hasn’t let go of her responsibilities. She’s pursuing a degree in arts, funding her younger sister’s college education, and supporting her family’s living expenses — all while chasing world dominance in kickboxing.
The Last Word:
Shraddha Rangharh isn’t just a martial artist. She’s a movement.
A one-woman army built on grit, grace, and ground-breaking kicks.
A small-town girl with big-league ambition.
A story that doesn’t just deserve to be told — it demands to be heard.
So the next time someone says, “It’s just a girl,”
remember this: She kicks harder than your excuses.