India’s Jubilation over the London 2012 Olympics

Usually, in the Indian annual felicitation ceremony for sports, only one person is awarded the National Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award by the President, but this year the condition has been relaxed as per the original scheme of the award since both the awardees- Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling) and Vijay Kumar (pistol shooting) won Olympic medals.

As for the Arjuna Awards-- not more than 15 awards are given in any calendar year but this time around, 25 people were awarded exception as a result of the Olympics. 

India’s triumphant bag of 6 medals in the London 2012 Olympics has been, in many ways, a proud moment for the country. Although some people still choose to go on about how India might have done better in its performance, most citizens are overjoyed and are more than eager to extend their praise for the winners.

This fact has been made obvious by the recent felicitation of the medal winners and participants of the Olympics by the Haryana government, along with the sheer numbers of awardees in the months following the event.

The list of awardees for the Arjuna Awards consisted of:  Deepika Kumari (archery), Laishram Bombayla Devi (archery), Sudha Singh (athletics), Kavita Ramdas Raut (athletics), Ashwani Ponnappa (badminton), Parupalli Kashyap (badminton), Aditya S Mehta (billiards and Snooker), Vikas Krishan (boxing), Yuvraj Singh (cricket), Sardar Singh (hockey),  Yashpal Solanki (judo), Anup Kumar (kabaddi), Samir Suhag (polo), Annu Raj Singh (shooting), Omkar Singh (shooting), Joydeep Karmakar (shooting), Deepika Pallikal (squash), Sandeep Sejwal (swimming), Ng. Sonia Chanu (weight-lifting), Narsingh Yadav (wrestling), Rajinder Kumar (wrestling), Geeta Phogat (wrestling), M. Bimoljit Singh (wushu), Deepa Mallick (athletics, Paralympics), and  Ramkaran Singh(athletics, Paralympics).

Mary Kom’s Rise to Glory, and win of Indian hearts

Before the London Olympics, (when ‘Mary Kom’ practically became a household name and won million of hearts), she was a five-time World Boxing Champion who never left a fight without clutching a gold medal in hand.

But what made her win so many of her countrymen’s hearts even when she won bronze instead of gold at the London was a realization that dawned upon them:  here was an ordinary woman, from not so ordinary a place in India—one that evoked the image of controversy, and in spite of it all, even when she hailed from a poor family, she excelled at something that was viewed as something purely meant for men;  “...When I tried boxing (as a child), the boys were laughing because it was only ‘men’ boxing, you know? Boxing was a boy’s game. Not a woman’s game. So I tell youngsters- ‘Challenge me.’ ‘Learn from me’. If Mary Kom can do it, why can't they do it?"

Even her being a wife, and the mother of two boys never stopped her, and she went on to box her way to the Olympics."I think I was unlucky (in London)," said Mary. "I was playing in the 51 kg category. My opponents were heavier and taller than me. I had to face a tough Polish opponent (Karolina Michalczuk) in the quareter-finals. She is a strong girl, almost made of iron.

All this, and more had not only made MC Mary Kom someone that the youth of today look up to, but also every Indian woman’s idol. So much so that recently the Government of Manipur named a road in the state after her and Bollywood has set sights on a biopic about the boxer!

“Here's a person so splendid, so inspiring, so wonderful,” said Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who directed the film ‘Devdas’ in 2002. “Her story needs to be told to the world. It's a wonderful story of a fighter in life.”  Bhansali is working on the biopic with Omung Kumar, who incidentally worked with Bhansali before as the art director for 'Black' and 'Saawariya’.

The mother of twin boys famous for her go-getter attitude feels that Bhansali's film (which is scheduled for release sometime next year) will help fix relations between the northeast and the rest of the country. “Our people look different but they are Indians. We have the same passions when the country is involved,” she says. Recently, the clash between Bodo tribes and Muslims in the north-eastern state of Assam caused an exodus of north-eastern people from the cities of Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

But will the film be screened in the boxer’s own state where Manipur’s separist rebels have imposed a ban on all Bollywood films? 

Only time will tell. As for Mary Kom, she hopes “nobody will object to a film if it centers on my life story, my struggles to become a boxer.”

Mary Kom- London Dreams.

‘Queen of the ring’, ‘Magnificent Mary’, ‘Manipur’s Golden Girl’- are some of the words used to describe Indian boxing legend Mungte Chungneijang Mary Kom. Born into a poor farmer’s family in Manipur, Mary Kom realized her love for Boxing at an early age. And ever since, she overcame all odds and devoted her life to this passion.

 Today, five times World Women Boxing Champion MC Mary Kom has her eyes set on a lifelong fantasy- The Olympic Gold Medal. Being the first and only boxer representing India at the historic event, the mother-of-two talks to us (IOS Sports and Entertainment) about her calm and qualms.

2012 sees the debut of Women’s boxing in the Olympics. How do you feel about that?

Mary Kom: Representing India at the Olympics has always been a far-fetched dream. And now that Women’s Boxing has finally been introduced to the Olympics, it’s a dream come true. I am a five times World Champion but I am not happy with that, nobody knows me yet. If I win a medal at the Olympics, I’m sure I’ll gain more popularity and fame. I’ll also be fetching popularity for this sport in India.

 You returned empty-handed from the World Women Championship for the first time. How do you feel about that?

Mary Kom: It’s a game, it happens. This was the first time I faced a European boxer at Worlds and my first time in the 51kgs category. Also, at the Worlds, there were close to 55 boxers. As they were all present at the championship, getting through was tough. Even the top Chinese boxers in the 60 and 75kgs weren’t able to get through and qualify for the Olympics. Changing weights too, has been quite a challenge for me. I’ve had the chance to explore my potential. I would’ve been champion if I was fighting in the 48kgs. I have already defeated the champion from Philippines thrice so I believe I would have done so again.

Now that you’ve secured a berth in the London Olympics, what’s your plan of action? Have you begun training?

Mary Kom: Haven’t spared a moment! Olympics were always a top-priority event for me. I will be upgrading my training regime to sharpen my skills. I need to improve in every aspect of fighting; I will be doing more workouts and also work on my mental strength. I will be going to Patiala to train with the boys at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala. This should help me improve. As of now, I’ll be spending vacation time with my family for 10-15 days after which I’ll resume training.

What do you think is the one thing that differentiates you from your competitors?

Mary Kom: Firstly, I’m a mother of two (Laughs). I make sure that I remain active all the time. I give my 100%, no matter what. I believe I have seen and studied techniques of players from all over the world. Olympics will not be as tough as the Worlds as there’ll be select boxers there.

 Also, I feel that I have the blessings of my coach, my mentors, my beloved husband and my dear children. God too, is with me always. What else could I want?

You are an inspiration for women in India. How do you juggle your work and professional life? There are a lot of women out there seeking your advice. Any mantra?

Mary Kom: There’s no mantra as such. I was fortunate to have a cooperative family who was with me, no matter what. I never compromise my family for anything. I call my kids 5-6 times a day. They tell me they miss me, and I get emotional. But that just gives me strength to play. I do it all for my family.

You are a role model for millions. Who is YOUR role model?

Mary Kom: With Dinko Singh winning Gold in ’98 Asian games, boxing went through a new wave in Manipur. So, he’s always been a role model and an ardent encouragement to pursue my endeavor. Mohammed Ali is my role model too. I grew up watching him play and learnt a lot from him. I am also a fan of Mike Tyson. I never miss films featuring Mike Tyson or Mohammed Ali. 

How do you prepare yourself mentally before entering the ring?

Mary Kom: Focus and faith are two things that need to be set right before entering the ring. I have always devoted my every endeavor to God so I say a little prayer asking for focus and courage. It’s very important to stay composed in a ring.

Message for Women pursuing sports in India?

Mary Kom: A little hard work, strong will and determination is all it takes. Being a woman sports person is never easy. It takes a little courage. So my advice- Never take no for an answer. Beat all the odds!

Thanks a lot for sparing your valuable time and speaking to us. IOS wishes you all the best for the Olympics and all your future endeavors.

Mary Kom: Thank you! I’ll give my best.

                                                                     - IOS Sports and Entertainment.