Manipur Information Centre
NEW DELHI , Sep 21: Harbalife India, the leading Weight Management, Nutrition and Personal Care Company along with the Indian Boxing Federation and Infinity Optimal Solutions Private Limited (IOS) on Tuesday, in a solemn function held at Park Hotel, Parliament Street here, congratulated India’s woman boxer M. C. Mary Kom for winning the fifth successive world boxing championship gold in Barbados recently. Harbalife recently signed on Mary Kom as their sponsored sportsperson for its nutritional range of products.
Congratulating Mary Kom on her magnificent win; Ajay Khanna, Country Head of Herbalife India handed over a cheque amounting to Rs two lakhs to Mary Kom in the function.
Secretary General of Indian Boxing Federation Col. P.K. Muralidharan Raja said that Mary Kom’s five continuous Gold Medals in the World Championships were a rare feat in the annals of International Boxing Association (AIBA). “In the last 10 years, Mary Kom was unbeatable; she is really Magnificent Maryâ€, he added. Col Raja expressed his confidence that she would beat all bouts in the forthcoming Asian Games and Olympic Games.
On behalf of the Indian Boxing Federation, its Vice President Bhupindra Singh presented Mary Kom a cheque carrying Rs one lakh for encouraging her marvelous achievement.
Seeing cameras, light and mikes of different television news channels in the surrounding; Mary Kom, in her intro of speech, said “I am really scared to speak here but I am not scared inside the ringâ€.
Mary Kom congratulated the Indian Boxing Federation, IOS and Herbalife for extending a lot of support to her. She expressed her thankfulness to the Government of Manipur for encouraging her with the announcement of Rs 10 lakhs reward. She thanked to all her well wishers and her coaches.
The only boxer to have won a medal in each of the six world championships- one Silver and five Golds consecutively, Mary Kom has now her firm mind set on the 2012 Olympics.
Speaking at the Media , Mary Kom said, “ I have no fear to fight at any bouts of the forthcoming Asian Games 2010 and Olympic Games 2012. I have 10 years of experience in international boxing. I’m mentally strong and have will power in fighting the opponentsâ€.
Asked how she had won the recent world boxing championship; she said, “I just play the final match with cool mind and complete relaxationâ€.
When asked she would insist her children joined the boxing game, she stated that she had a hard life in the game and suffered a lot, and she did not want to see her children to suffer.
She expressed that she indebted to all her coaches namely, Ibomcha, Narjit and Kishan of Manipur and Chief Coach Anup Kumar. She said that in her Boxing Academy in Manipur, she was giving training to 25-30 boxers. She thanked to the CRPF for providing equipments worth Rs one lakh and the Army at Leimakhong for giving lots of equipments, UNACCO Bank and SAI Manipur for their valuable supports to the Academy. Her message to the sportspersons was to hard work and to have determination in their respective discipline.
Mary Kom along with L. Sarita will take part in the trial selection tomorrow at Talkatora Stadium, Mother Teresa Crescent here for the Asian Games scheduled from November 15 in Guangzhou, China.