India still look up to Mary Kom
GOING STRONG The fivetime champion boxer still packs a punch at age of 35 and remains an inspiration
NEW DELHI: From 2001 onwards, MC Mary Kom has been the pillar of Indian women’s boxing. The 10th edition of the World Championships starting on Thursday is here and the legend is again ready to pack a punch, this time to win her second gold medal at home.
In 2006 when the event was held here, she spearheaded India to an unprecedented first place finish. The hosts bagged a whopping eight medals, including four gold. But those were nascent days. Women’s boxing was still not in the Olympics. Once it was included in the 2012 London Games, it proved a big boost with many nations promoting it.
Mary Kom achieved her dream of an Olympic medal with a bronze in London; she didn’t qualify for Rio but is eyeing 2020 Tokyo. Only time will tell if the 35-year-old will have the drive and fitness to win another Olympic medal, but this year, she has raised the stakes. She was the only Indian to win a medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, a gold. She skipped Asian Games and others didn’t impress.
It shows how dependent India are on ‘Magnificent Mary’. The younger lot needs to show more hunger and spunk, and no better platform than the worlds at home.
Indian boxers will compete in all 10 categories. The experience of Mary Kom and L Sarita Devi, another stalwart who also won gold in 2006, will come in handy. It is also an opportunity for youngsters like Manisha Moun (54kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) to test themselves against the toughest in world boxing.
India’s Italian coach Raffaele Bergamasco, who has been with the team since December 2017, is confident. “We’ve had very good training and sparring against foreign boxers and we are well prepared. We look forward to a few medals. It’s not only Mary and Sarita but Manisha, Simranjit in 64, and Lovlina --- medals are possible.
“It is the best field in the last three editions. There are big names, 72 countries, 315 girls, all categories are very strong. Nothing will come easy.”
The three Olympic categories -- 51kg, 60kg and 75kg -- will be hard fought. AIBA is set to add 57kg and 69kg also for Tokyo.
“I have two years in India but I am happy the girls are improving. They are stronger now and working on a new methodology.” India won eight medals in 2006, including four gold medals. Inaugural New Delhi
World will hold the Championships World was held in Championships 2001, Scranton, for the second USA where 30 time. The first countries time it was held participated in 2006
ALL-TIME MEDAL WINNERS
Gold Silver Bronze
Russia China 16 22 No of participating nations in the 10th edition of World Championships, the biggest ever
MOST SUCCESSFUL BOXERS
(India) Gold: Silver:
(Ireland) Gold: Bronze: Sarita’s quest to win an Olympic medal keeps her going. Competing in 60kg which is an Olympic category, Sarita’s task will be cut out against some top names in the world. She recently won a bronze at Silesian Open and would be pumped up to compete at home. The 20-year-old from Haryana is highly rated by foreign coach Raffaele Bergamasco. Having started boxing in 2012, Manisha has quickly risen at domestic level and shown her class in international stage too winning a silver at 13th Silesian Open in Poland. This will be her big test. Competed in the first Worlds in 2001 and is still going strong. She won gold when the world meet was held at home in 2006 and this could be her last one. The best part is she will be fighting in her favourite class --48kg. She became the first female boxer from Finland to compete at Olympics and return with bronze. A mother of two, Mira is remembered for beating five-time world champion and London Olympic gold medallist Katie Taylor at Rio. She is 37 but is one of the strongest competitors. Russia’s Anastasiia Beliakova was unfortunate to retire in Rio Olympics semi-finals against France’s champion Estelle Mossely because of a hand injury. She has been in good form this year and won bronze at the Stranjda Tournament in Bulgaria. Nouchka Fonttijn has remained in the shadows of two-time Olympic champion Claressa Shields, losing to her in the final of 2016 Worlds and at Rio Olympics. Shields has moved to pro-boxing and Nouchka will grab the chance. NEW DELHI Kosovo’s participation in the women’s World Championships remained doubtful with their lone boxer, Donjeta Sadiku, still not granted visa for the event starting on Thursday.
While Boxing Federation of India officials put the onus on the government, Indian Olympic Association said if the Kosovo boxer is not allowed to participate, India may lose future international competitions.
India does not recognise Kosovo --- a disputed territory in the erstwhile Yugoslavia.
IOA president Narinder Batra said International Olympic Council (IOC) is preparing to send a letter to all international federations, advising them not to give international competitions to India if the Kosovo issue is not resolved.
The IOC had earlier asked international federations to not award events to Spain unless it guarantees Kosovo’s participation.
“The IOC is not going to have different rules for India and Spain. We have written to the sports ministry giving all the facts. India might face a ban … Sports and bilateral ties should not be mixed.”
BFI president Ajay Singh said: “We’re still talking to the Ministry of External Affairs. It’s a sensitive issue … it’s a larger external affairs issue, and it is not only an India issue. It is a global issue and there needs to be a dialogue between all sides to find a solution. This is not about boxing alone; it’s a much larger issue.”
Singh doesn’t think India will be penalised over the issue.
“Many countries actually don’t recognise Kososvo. So, we have to find a solution between IOC and all these countries because this includes lot of western nations, South-east Asian nations.
“It’s not something that as Boxing Federation of India we should be commenting on. From our perspective of course we want to follow IOC and AIBA guidelines. Ultimately, the decision whether or not to grant visa is really a sovereign issue.”