Took up boxing after watching Muhammad Ali on TV: Mary Kom
She is upset with younger generation of boxers for not approaching her for advice
Panaji, Apr 14: Six-time women's world boxing champion and Olympic medallist M C Mary Kom Saturday said she turned to this combat sport after getting inspired by watching legendary boxer Muhammad Ali's fight on television.
The pugilist from Manipur said she also drew inspiration from action movies of Jackie Chan as well as fight sequences of Bollywood films starring Akshay Kumar and others initially.
She was speaking during an interaction with the delegates at the ongoing 'Goa Fest 2019', an annual event organised by advertising bodies in the country.
"My inspiration in the boxing field came when I saw Muhammad Ali's fight on television...I said to myself, if a man can fight, why can't a woman," she said.
"I also used to watch Bollywood movies like those of Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol and others," she added.
She said when she took up boxing, people were talking about it "very negatively".
"Before marriage, is it easier for everyone. But after marriage, the responsibilities increase," she said.
During her address before the interaction, she said, "Now I can say, we have everything. Only we don't have champions. They are not creating new champions, that is what we are lacking."
However, she clarified that she was not blaming the government, the companies or the federation for it.
"I am blaming the athletes. They still have more to learn," she said, adding that she was upset because athletes from the younger generation never approach her.
"They never come to me and ask about my experience. I feel very bad. After I retire whether we will have a champion or not, I don't know," she said.
"Come and ask me about my experience. Boxers those who are in the game, they have ego. Silver, bronze is not enough, they are still young, they will still continue for many years, future is bright," the Olympic bronze-medallist said.
The boxer said she was putting in "100-120 per cent" efforts to win a gold in 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
"This year is very important for me, because we have a qualification round in October-November. I am giving 100-120 per cent for the event," said the 36-year-old athlete.
Mary said it was not easy to maintain the performance after continuously winning the title.
"I have been trying since the beginning. I have kept on trying till the sixth title. It is not easy to maintain the performance," she said.
"To become a world champion once is easy. To become a one-time world champion is very easy. For other Athletes too it is easy, but repeating the performance is very hard," said the star boxer, whose life had inspired the movie 'Mary Kom' starring Priyanka Chopra.
"Many of the athletes in our country or all over the world are suffering because we have every year new young athlete coming up and defeating," she said.
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Rajeev Chandrasekhar accuses LDF, UDF of backing Iran over Keralites in Gulf
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday hit out at both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF, saying that their reactions to the recent conflict in West Asia show that they are supporting Iran rather than standing with the people of Kerala living in the Gulf countries.
He accused both fronts of "playing politics" in the name of religion and appeasement ahead of State Assembly elections, rather than taking a clear stand on the crisis.
It is "surprising" that the Left Democrat Front and United Democratic Front are "supporting" Iran -- which is attacking Gulf countries that economically sustain Kerala and are considered a second home by Keralites, Chandrasekhar said in a statement here.
The BJP leader said Keralites, many of whom depend on jobs in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, are anxious about the situation.
He underlined that the first priority should be the safety and security of expatriate workers and their families, not political gains.
His statement comes a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the United States was displaying "hooliganism" against Iran and accused it of taking "irrational" actions that undermine the sovereignty of nations.
The Congress has also "unequivocally" condemned the targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said no external power has the authority to engineer a regime change, as such actions amount to imperialism and are incompatible with a rules-based international order.
Chandrasekhar said that the central government is offering help and guidance to Indian citizens in the region, and urged people not to panic.
To assist those affected, the Kerala BJP has opened helpdesks in 30 district offices and launched a toll-free number -- 1800-257-4357 --for Keralites seeking information or support connected to the conflict, the statement said.
