If there is one word that can describe the grit of the pugilist from Manipur, it has to be perseverance. The moment one thinks that it might be end of the road for MC Mary Kom, she takes her game to an entirely different level and audience and experts can just sit back and admire a sportsperson at the peak of her abilities completely dominating the opponent and winning yet another gold. In her mid-30s, when most athletes across sports think about their life beyond and after professional sports participation, it seems like Mary Kom has just begun another phase in her already illustrious career and that too with a gold.
On Wednesday, she had saved her best game for the occasion, launching the attack on the opposition from the beginning itself, landing the punches which helped her take the lead in that match. Although, her Korean opponent stayed alive in the Asian Boxing Championship finals by attacking in the second round, Mary Kom was at her defensive best in this round, attacking only to counter the attack by her opposition. And from then there was no looking back, Mary was clearly the better player in the ring on Wednesday outclassing her opponent Hyang Mi Kim and winning the gold with a unanimous 5-0 verdict.
"If I am fit, nobody can touch me. Nobody can beat me easily. As long as I am training hard and my body is fit, I can beat anyone, bring it on," the five-time world champion told the media. The veteran boxer who had won five World Championship titles in the 48 Kg category was forced to take a break as the 48 Kg category was removed from the Olympic routines, instead she had participated in the 51 Kg category in which she claimed a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics, which was the maiden appearance for Indian woman in Boxing at the Olympics.
Mary Kom’s victory is a victory of her will and determination and her belief of constantly moving forward. The new Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh was one of the key reasons why Mary Kom returned to the ring. Ajay Singh mentioned that at 34, the mother of three has shown that with determination one can overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties.
On the eve of the finals of the Asian Boxing Championship, it never appeared that Mary Kom was making a comeback, as if she had never taken a break from the sport which has made her a global star. Mary, who is eyeing the 2018 Commonwealth Games, confirmed that it was only due to the insistence of the Boxing Federation of India President that she came back into the boxing ring.
Mary was elected to be the Rajya Sabha member in April last year, she is struggling to strike a balance between her Parliament duties and boxing since March this year. But for all of us who admire her aggression in the ring and the journey that precedes her achievements, we hope she finds the balance soon and her journey inside the ring continues.
