Indian Boxing Legend Mary Kom showed her eagerness to be a part of the boxing team while representing the country in the Olympics, however due to her age she is restricted to enter into the game. She said that due to the lack of proper facilities and no basic infrastructure at the school level she entered late into the boxing field.
Evolution of Sports Emphasis in Schools
The 7 times world champion in a event organised by the Orchids The International school on Saturday said that schools are currently emphasising a lot on sports activities which was a rare scenario during her school days.
The Olympics medalist while comparing her school days with today's said that things have changed a lot. “ Back then we had no proper facilities to pursue a career in sports, but now there are so many opportunities provided by schools”, said the multiple times world champion.
Challenges Faced in Pursuing Boxing
Mary Kom had to face adversities on her route to become a medalist at the Olympics and gain the popularity she deserved. On India’s below par performance in sporting events, she said, “These days proper infrastructure and facilities are there but that willingness to win a medal is lacking among sports persons.” With schools adding self defence sports into their curriculum, she is hopeful that there might be many champions in near future.
Guidance for Aspiring Boxers
Kom suggested to youngsters that before taking boxing as a career one needs to understand that sports including Wrestling, Martial arts are contact games in which there is a lot of hard work before coming into an actual fight. She said that one has to be physically and mentally fit before entering into the ring for that 10-15 minutes fight. “It’s not an easy game but with dedication and pure hard work it’s not that tough”, said Kom.
The Vice-President of the Academics at Orchids The International School, Kavita Chatterjee to the Free Press Journal said that with Mary Kom herself promoting the sports, a lot of parents are eager to send their kids into the boxing ring. In a pre boxing session conducted by the organisation, the school witnessed 600 entries. “With proper structure at school level, more kids will take up this sport”, added Chatterjee.
