SPORTS

Mary Kom eyes 2012 Olympics gold

By Onkar Singh
September 21, 2010

Five-time world champion MC Mary Kom will have to undergo a trial for the Asian Gamers in China for an all-new weight category.

Mary, who beat Steluta Duta of Romania 16-6 in the final to win the World Championships gold was felicitated in Delhi on Tuesday by the All India Boxing Federation, where she received a cheque of Rs 100,000 from the AIBA, while her sponsors Herbalife presented her a cheque of Rs 200,000.

Mother of two, Mary said retaining the title was easy.

"As I went from bout to bout things automatically fell in place," she said.

The ace boxer revealed that facing the media was more scary than fighting against an opponent.

"I am not afraid when I am boxing, but when I face so many newspersons I am a bit scared, but I shall try to answer your questions."

Mary said her dream is to become a coach and train women in the sport so that they can fetch gold medals for the country in future.

"Next in line is a gold at the 2012 London Olympics. I want to win a gold medal for India in the 2012 Olympic Games," she added.

Mary had originally competed in the 46-kg category. She went up a couple of kilograms ahead of this year's World Championships and is all set to bulk up more to fight in the 51-kg, one of the three weight categories to have got the International Olympic Committee's nod for the Olympics and the Asian Games.

The IBF is willing to delay the trials by a week to give Mary Kom a break after the World Championships but the boxer wants to have it over and done with as quickly as possible.

Mary thanked both the federation and her sponsors for making it possible to achieve her target.

The Asian Games is scheduled from November 15 in Guangzhou, China, and Mary Kom's main challenger in her division will be statemate L Sarita Devi, a former World Championship silver-medallist.

Surprisingly, she doesn't want her children to take up the sport.

"I have suffered for them and now I plan to make them tennis players. I too wanted to be a tennis player but it was costly and boxing gloves cost just Rs 500. Now we have the money I would like them to take up tennis.

"I must thank my husband, without whose support it would have been difficult to make a comeback in the boxing ring," she said.

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

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