M.C. Marykom is India’s biggest medal hope at the London Olympics in 2012. She has consecutively won the last four World Championships in Women’s Boxing in her category. She is currently associated with the Sports management firm IOS Pvt. Ltd. and also Olympic Gold Quest. Sportskeeda talks to “Magnificent Mary”.
Arpit: After your consistent achievements at the International stage, people have started calling you- “Magnificent Mary”. How do you respond to that kind of appreciation?
Marykom: Like any other sportsperson, it is very flattering for me to be referred to in such glowing terms. I feel extremely blessed that the people of this country are recognizing my talent and hard work. It makes me want to give my best in the future as well.
Arpit: Mary, you have won every possible accolade from the national government – from the Arjuna Award to Padma Shri and now the Rajiv Gandhi KhelRatna Award. What is the secret of your success?
Marykom: There is no secret as such, for ultimately any sport boils down to some natural talent and a lot of hard work and perseverance. I believe that I have complimented my inherent will-power, talent and my love for boxing with extreme hard work too forge m y successes.
Arpit: Women’s boxing will feature this time at London Olympics 2010. Considering that you have been crowned the World Champion the fourth consecutive time; There are high hopes from you. What do you say about that?
Marykom:It’s a dream come true for me that women’s boxing is finally getting recognition on the biggest stage for any athlete. The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision has given me the strength to work harder, so that I can represent my country at the Olympics and hopefully win the gold. It cannot get any bigger than this and I hope I can succeed, and by so doing, put women’s boxing in India on the world map.
Arpit: Also, you are associated with the Olympic Gold Quest. Tell us about your association with them?
Marykom: Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) is a non-profit Foundation for Promotion of Sports and Games which is committed to bridging the gap between the athletes in India and the athletes in the world and helping Indian athletes to win Olympic Gold. Gold Quest has been helping me with my training and preparation for London Olympics 2012.
Arpit: The Commonwealth Games in India are coming up, you must be excited at that prospect. How do you think it will change the sporting scene in India?
Marykom: I am extremely excited about the Commonwealth Games given that the games are second only to the Olympics, as the world’s leading sporting events. So far, the countries which have hosted the Commonwealth Games have benefited immensely from the additional infrastructure, finances and spectator interest that hosting these games generates and I am certain that India can expect the same. I am also hopeful that as the people of this country watch Indian athletes participate and do well at the international level, spectator interest and therefore sponsor involvement will increase, thereby improving the lives of the thousands of people that dedicate themselves to the often thankless pursuit of sport.
Mary with her two kids.
Arpit: You dedicated your KhelRatna to your two children. Do you get enough time to spend with them, considering your hectic schedule?
Marykom: I try and spend as much time as I can with my children, but I often feel that I don’t get to spend as much time as I, and they, would like. Fortunately, my husband (K.Onler) has taken up my slack in raising our children and has always been there to take care of the family. Without Onler, I don’t think I could have managed my career and raised my children at the same time, and I am immensely grateful for his unstinting effort.
Arpit: What are the upcoming events you would be participating in?
Marykom: My upcoming events are World Women Boxing Championship from 7 – 9 September at Bridge Town, Barbados. And Asian Games from 11 – 27 November 2010 at China.
Arpit: Mary you come from a reasonable background and had to take great pains to take up the sport in your initial years. How tough is it to make a career in Boxing in India? Tell us about the academy you have opened to train boxers for India.
Marykom: I don’t think I will ever be able to express in words, the pains that I had to go through during the initial stages. At that time, and to a degree even today, Boxing was a male dominated sport and nearly a taboo for women and it was very difficult for me to convince my family to support in me trying to storm this male bastion. From a shortage of funds, to lack of facilities to poor equipment and, at times, even poor nutrition, being a female boxer in this country is an extremely challenging task. In those days, not was I battling myself to become better, but I was also forced to battle a system that did not want me, and the effort required to overcome both obstacles was immense. Fortunately, I believed that one can accomplish anything if one sets her mind to it, no matter how many odds one may face, through sheer determination, hardship and above all believing in one self and God.
Champion
Arpit: You have also launched a website of your own. How did the idea come to you and what purpose will the website serve?
Marykom: I think social networking is equally important. My aim is to spread awareness about Women Boxing and I think this is the right platform. Many people want to know more about me. I think my website will provide them with every little detail related to me, my championships, my events, photos, videos etc. I also have Official Page on Facebook which is updated frequently. Its overwhelming to see the response of people.
Arpit: Mary, BBC did a documentary on you and your life as an Indian Boxer. Tell us about that. Do you think your success will help in attracting youngsters into the sport?
Marykom: BBC has undertaken this project of filming a Documentary on me for the upcoming London Olympics, 2012. For this documentary, they will shoot my life as a boxer from the initial stages and up to 2012. I am quite confident that my performances on the international stage will excite other youngsters to take up the sport and to view it as, not just recreation (though even that is often good enough), but as a viable career opportunity.
Arpit: Thanks for talking to Sportskeeda. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
