Million dollar babes

Indian girls are ready to punch it out at the World Boxing Championship

It’s a season to feast on the fiery punches of the eves, as Delhi is ready to host the fourth World Women’s Boxing Championship at the Talkatora stadium from November 18. Well, after Manipur’s MC Mary Kom’s feat of annexing the title twice, women’s boxing is not an unknown sport in India.

Kid gloves: Mary Kom, one of the two women world champions Manipur has produced (the other is weightlifter N Kunjarani
Devi), recalls her journey: “I started as an athlete and tried boxing in 2000. Within two months I became the state champion and then won the nationals.” But if you look at the well-manicured hands of this sub inspector with the Manipur Police, you would not believe that these are the hands of a world champion.

Unfair deal: However, life for women boxers is not easy, especially when compared to their male counterparts. Says Mary Kom, “People think we are supposed to marry and sit at home. When I got married, everybody in the village suggested I quit boxing. Had it not been for my family, my husband and the in-laws, I wouldn’t have been here. I proved everybody wrong as just after my marriage, I won the world championship.” She informs her peers too face similar problems. “Nobody wants women to take up such a dangerous sport. Only when they start winning medals do they get any appreciation,” she adds.
But the determination of the Indian lady pugilists is beginning to bear fruits. Last year in the Moscow world championship, India won one gold and four bronze medals. They also annexed the coveted Championship Trophy in October at the Venus Box Cup Invitational held in Denmark.

Ready punch: About the forthcoming world championship, Col PK Muralidharan Raja, secretary general of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, says, “Russians will start as favourites, but our women boxers are motivated enough to take on their might in front of the home crowd.”
The contingent’s coach Anoop Kumar Singh echoes the sentiment, “We expect all 13 boxers to end up at the podium. They have had a very tough training and with crowd support, tables can turn even for the best boxer in the ring.”
Apart from Mary Kom, other Indian girls adding spunk in the ring are Kalpana Chaudhary, Chhotu Laura, L Sarita Devi and I Ibomcha Devi. And each of them is definitely a Million Dollar Baby.