In Pakistan, young female boxers punch through gender barriers (Reuters)

In a dense and dusty neighborhood in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, eight young girls lined up against a cement wall, touching their hands to their faces in prayer before boxing practice began. For the last six months, these athletes-in-the-making have been training at the Pak Shaheen Boxing Club in Lyari, a packed Karachi ward known more for its internecine gang warfare than for breaking glass ceilings. During the week, a dozen girls, aged eight to 17, go to the club after school to practice their jabs, hooks and upper cuts for hours in the hope of one day bringing a medal home to Pakistan.