Mary urges fellow athletes to strive for medal at Rio

M C Mary Mom, who won a bronze medal at the London Olympics, has urged those sportspersons, who could not make a finish at the 2012 Games, to keep striving hard to win a medal at the Rio Games.

"To be an Olympian is very hard. To qualify is very hard. I am very happy and proud to bring a medal for the nation. I will try hard again for Rio. Just challenge me," Kom said here at a felicitation ceremony organised jointly by a Guwahati-based organisation and a Bangalore-based firm.

"If Mary Kom can get a medal, why not others? This is my message to you," she said at the programme in which shooter Joydeep Karmakar and archer Rahul Banerjee, who could not win any medal at the London Games, were present.

"I tell them don't give up. I am already married and have two kids. Try to win a medal in the next Olympics. All the best for Rio. Please support them for Rio," she said.

Ex-Olympians Soma Biswas and Dola Banerjee, besides West Bengal sports minister Madan Mitra and Assam's PHE minister Gautom Roy were also present at the felicitation ceremony.

"We are proud to have Mary Kom felicitated in our state," Mitra said.

Roy said the Assam government could not felicitate her till now due to the troubled situation in the state.

"The state government will give a cash award of Rs 20 lakh to Mary Kom," he added.