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Mary Kom India's Internation Boxing Womens Champion
In my other two articles where I had mentioned about probabilistic growth of Sports in India other than Cricket or Tennis, fortunately I have a company who holds similar views. The great thing is that this “company” of mine is some one who does not knows me and is of international fame and of super duper fame in East India. I am talking about one Ms. Mary Kom. You might have heard of her of late, since she was making news. Now, this “one” Mary Kom is not just anybody for and in India, rather that sports personality who is the 1st woman ever in Indian history to win Arjuna award and recently awarded with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna ( India’s highest sports award).
Mangte Chungneijang Merykom, in short Mary Kom, belongs to rural Manipur and was raised in a family which was hardly able to make both ends meet. To support her family, Mary took to sports and boldly defied the age old pithy which says Jack of all but master of none. She was master of all. She excelled in all forms of athletic sports and according to her, 400 m and Javelin were her pet events. Given that, wonder if she could be one of the world’s best female boxers? Certainly not. And thats where I am coming to. Dingko Singh is a renowned Indian boxer of international fame and Mary took inspiration from him to enter the world of Boxing.
She started her Boxing career in 2000 and after learning the basics of the sport within 2 weeks, she won the State Championship the same year. She was heavily reprimanded by her Father for this since Boxing was considered a taboo for women (no wonder if it still is considered a taboo in many parts of rural India). Notwithstanding, after winning her 1stchampionship in 2000 at State level, she competed in East India Women’s Boxing Championship the same year, won a Gold medal and carried on this stint for subsequent years till 2005. Pretty soon, Mary embarked on the journey that took her to the pinnacle of her international career. She went to Bangkok as part of an international campaign to compete for her 1st Asian Women’s Boxing Championship .Though not successful in that event, she bagged Gold medals in 2nd & 3rd Asian Championships held in India & Taiwan respectively. In the World Women’s Championship held in USA in 2001, Merykom, 18 years old at that time, managed to win a Silver medal. The next year, in the World Women’s Senior Boxing Championship held in Turkey, she won the Gold medal in the 45 Kg category. In 2003, in Asian Women’s Championship held in India, she again retained the honour. It was raining Gold for her in 2004 – she won the 46 Kg World Women’s Boxing Championship held in Norway, she bagged Gold in Witch Cup held in Hungary and she also was the champion Asian Women’s Boxing Championship held in Taiwan. In 2005 again, she defended her world title in 46 Kg category World Women’s Boxing Championship held in Russia. And when she was seemingly invincible, she maintained this reputation to win the World Women’s Boxing Championship agaaaaaaaain in 2006 held in India, where she also performed the traditional Manipuri Folk dance in the ring after winning the final bout. That is one lovely demonstration of a charismatic and cherubic pugilist (something extremely ironical, isn’t it?).
Overall, being a world champion for 4 times in 6 years of her career is not just mere remarkable. I just can’t find a suitable word in my vocabulary to state her glory and greatness. Its well understood than stated I guess. Now one would think what in the world is unachievable for her and she ha left nothing to be achieved. Maybe, but not certainly. Merykom still aspires to represent India in Olympics 1 day and I am dead sure she will not return empty handed. When that 1 day would come is a big question mark though!! In Mary Kom’s words, there isn’t enough sponsorship and support available for her or other Women boxers in India to take Indian Women Boxing to a completely differently level – a level which is not clandestine to the world anymore.
She was recently in news however, due to displaying “unsportive behaviour” in her quarter final match in this year’s Women’s National Boxing Championship due to which she has been temporarily suspended from all Boxing activities till 27th October. She lost the match and spoke “unsportive” language to the judges and also claimed that she lost the match due to racial discrimination of the judges to the East Indian boxers. Well, God knows to what extent this claim is true. Even if it is not true, this would not disgrace her reputation, at least in my perspective, for what all glory she has achieved for India.
