Manipur Information Centre
New Delhi, August 14: In a befitting kick-start to a long series of recognitions and rewards awaiting India ’s boxing sensation Mary Kom back home, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs was the first to felicitate the Olympic bronze medalist here this morning, immediately after she touched down the National Capital from London. Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj , V. Kishore Chandra Deo honoured the 29-year-old celebrity with a cheque of Rs 10 lakh at The Ashok hotel at Chanakyapuri here at 11 am. Sitting in the middle chair on the dais, Mary Kom who was flanked by Uinon Minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo on her right and Union Minister of State for Tribal affairs on her left received huge cheers from enthusiastic national media and the audience. Media swarmed on Mary Kom again at the venue after she met a large number of media at the airport this early morning.
In her maiden speech in the national capital after her arrival from London , Mary Kom expressed gratitude to all the people of India who extended constant support, prayed and wished for her to win the medal in London Olympics and I got a medal which was my long cherished dream on Olympics. She expected the gold medal but she couldn’t get it, she added.
She announced that she would try again for gold in Rio de Janeiro Olympics and sought the support from the public again. She said, “Support me and pray for me, I will go for the gold in Rio Olympics’. Born to a couple engaged in jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation at Kangathei, Churachandpur District in Manipur, Mary Kom also had her share of hurdles like any tribal girl when she decided to enter the rings.
She burst into the national scene 12 years ago, became a mother of two (twin) sons, now aged five, midway her career, yet tenaciously sprang back to scene – and went on to win laurels. A bronze in the 51-kg flyweight category in London 2012 was the latest achievement in her progressively glorious career after achieving five world championship titles.
“This felicitation is special in many ways,” said Jiji Thomson, the Managing Director of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited(TRIFED) that functioned under the Tribal Ministry. “Mary Kom epitomizes the grit and guts of Indian woman. She is going to be the flag-bearer and beacon for thousands of girls belonging to the tribal communities and aspiring to achieve greater heights”. In his opening felicitation speech, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs V. Kishore Chandra Deo said, “We are gathered here today to honor a lady, a tribal athlete, who has put India on the boxing map of the World (women boxing to be specific) by punching home an Olympic medal for India . She is the First woman athlete to bring home a boxing medal for the country in the first even Olympic featuring Women boxing as a field of competition. She is also the first Tribal Athlete to bring home an Olympic medal in the individual category. Please join me in congratulating the Tribal superwoman, M.C.Mary Kom”.
Addressing to M.C.Mary Kom, the Union Minister said, “We are proud of you. You have made Tribal India proud by bringing home an Olympic Medal for the country. It is belief and wish that your spectacular feats for the country will inspire endless generations of tribal communities and the rest of India in scaling newer and higher heights of Glory in future.”
He further lauded her, “M.C. Mary Kom created history by becoming India ’s first woman boxer to win a medal at the Olympics. Our very own talented and hard-working lady from the Northeast won a bronze in the 51-kg event at the just-concluded London Games’.
Kishore Chandra Deo described how Mary Kom was. He narrated, “Imagine a little girl being born to a jhum cultivation couple in a remote place in the hilly Northeastern state of Manipur almost three decades ago. In her toddler days and even later, Mary Kom saw her parents slashing and burning tracts of hilly land – and going ahead with their farming season one after the other.
Her interest, though, drifted onto athletics. She began participating with great flair and success in sporting events that were hosted by her schools in the city of Moirang initially and that in the state capital of Imphal subsequently. It was around that time that boxing started to appeal to her like never before. The dynamics of the combative sport and beauty of its movements as a martial art kept growing inside her as days passed by. They got a sudden boost in the year 2000, when inspiration came directly from none other than her state-mate Dingko Singh, a boxer who won a gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games at Bangkok’.
“So, what is special about the Olympic medal of Mary Kom”? The Union Minister asked himself and replied, “Well, let us no forget that India has a total of nearly 10 million tribal people. For that fraternity – underprivileged in general – Mary Kom’s latest achievement at London can be a matter of major inspiration. More so, considering that of the five titles India won at the 2012 Olympics, it is a tribal who has pocketed one”.
He further stated that the Government had to gain a clearer vision on how to brighten up the scheme of things in sports and games. “We should give a serious thought about building up a system that would ensure the strengthening of the skills of budding athletes at the grassroots level. Mary Kom’s story tells us the amazing results one can achieve largely through individual efforts rather than through a sound institutional setup. We have to alter this equation”, the Union Minister added.
Mary Kom’s mother Mangte Akham Kom, husband K.Onler Kom and his twin sons Rechungvar and Khupneivar were present in the felicitation function. The function was concluded with a colourful Komrem dance organised by the Komrem communities of Delhi . Mary Kom also joined the dance for a few minutes.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ministry-of-tribal-affairs-gives-rs-10-lakh-ill-go-for-gold-in-rio-olympics-mary-kom/
