Drowning the ring in tears of fury
A sobbing Sarita Devi refuses to accept the bronze medal and hands it over to Korean opponent
INCHEON: L Sarita Devi let it be known to the world that she would not take the humiliation of being made to look like a loser when she had pummelled her South Korean opponent in the 60kg women’s boxing semifinal, by refusing to accept the bronze medal during the medals ceremony.
Weeping inconsolably as the medallists were escorted to the showpiece ring inside the Seonhak Gymnasium for the medals ceremony, Sarita broke down again after climbing the podium.
And when the medal was being presented, she refused to lower her neck, instead asking the dignitary doing the honours to simply hand it over to her.
His plea declined twice, the dignitary handed over the medal to Sarita, who waited for the ceremony to get over, before walking to her South Korean rival Park Ji-Na, to whom she had ‘ l ost’, and putting the bronze around her neck.
Immediately afterwards, Park walked up to Sarita and handed over the medal to the Indian as the dazed Incheon Games officials, elite athletes and the world media saw one of the most embarrassing sporting moments of the continent unfold before their eyes. MEDAL DISCARDED Still crying, Sarita posed for the group picture and then left the medal on the podium as they started the long walk back to the warm-up area. But that was not the end of the saga.
A volunteer went up to the podium, picked up the medal and t ucked it into his pocket before going across to the official area.
A couple of Indian j our nalists asked him why he had pocketed the medal and where he was taking it.
He , however, tried to brush aside those standing around him and quickly went into the tour nament office. Somebody pointed this out
to the security officials, who rushed into the area and sanitised it.
Park came to the media briefing, saying, “I am embarrassed by what has happened. She (Sarita) was the winner yesterday. I walked up to her and traded the medal (on the podium).” With tears welling in her eyes too, she was escorted out. Sarita, with her husband, Thoiba Singh, by her side, was disconsolate. “The bronze is my gift to the Koreans. What will I tell my child when I get back home, that I have brought a bronze for you after promising gold?” BLATANT On Tuesday, in a one-sided semifinal encounter, the Manipur boxer thrashed Park but the judges blatantly awarded the bout in favour of the host. The Korean lost to China’s Yin Junhua in the final.
Sarita was left fuming as India’s sports officials, who had not moved a finger to help or advice the boxer on Tuesday, rushed to the side of Mary Kom after her triumph, to be photographed with her.
Randhir Singh, the former IOA secretary-general who is the secretary-general of the Olympic Council of Asia, India’s two deputy Chefs-deMission, Kuldeep Vats and Surinder Singh Bajwa as well as OCA’s international relations director, Vinod Tiwary, all rushed to congratulate Mary Kom. “It’s been 24 hours since I was given the unkindest cut, but no official has come forward till now,” said Sarita.