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Saturday, December 14, 2024

Mary's motto: Anything's possible for a woman

BANGALORE: Champion Indian boxer MC Mary Kom said on Wednesday that one of the prominent challenges in her career is to change the perception that women cannot be good boxers and she hoped her Olympic bronze would help bring in a change.

Mary's motto: Anything's possible for a woman

The Manipuri boxer, who was felicitated by a sponsor and awarded Rs 5 lakh on Wednesday, said she was pleased with her efforts in London. “This is the first time women’s boxing was there in the Olympics and I managed to come back with a medal. I’m very happy. More girls are coming into boxing now. My first challenge was to change the perception that only men can box and women can’t. I’ve shown that it is possible for women too. Now a lot has changed, a lot of girls have started coming into boxing,” she said.The 29-year-old pugilist said setting up an academy and giving back to the sport was her priority along with her boxing career now and hoped the government would improve infrastructure. “If the government improves infrastructure in Manipur and the northeast, it’ll help kids a lot. I want to set an example for kids. If Mary Kom can do it, even you can,” she said.The mother of five-year-old twin sons, Mary said she hoped to inspire women to not let marriage hold anyone back. “One hurdle for some athletes is marriage. Many sportswomen retire to raise their families. Considering I was able to win two world championships and an Olympic bronze after becoming a mother, I am confident plenty of women across the country will be able to achieve big things even after conceiving. I hope I can inspire them.”Asked if she would continue to train to top her achievement in the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro four years from now, Mary sounded confident. “Of course I want to be there, it’s my will. I still have the will power, I can do it. It’s not about age. If the body allows it, then it’s all mental. I can try qualifying, but winning a medal or not is another thing,” she said.

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