She is India’s foremost woman pugilist, who dominated the ring for over a decade. Mary Kom is a force to reckon with be it inside the ring or outside of it. As she prepares to don the gloves for one last time in the upcoming Rio Olympics, Sudipto Maity finds out her current state and preparations ahead of the world’s highest sporting event
How hopeful are you of winning a medal in Rio?
I am very confident about winning a medal at Rio. I fully concentrate on my training and I am giving my best effort. After all, it is Olympics and the completion will be tough, even the qualifying rounds. Winning or not will be decided by my hard work and Almighty God, who is in control.
Tell us a bit about your preparation. How is it shaping up?
I spend most of my time at the National Training Camp. It’s been more than two months that I am away from home. I train with different coaches and sparring partners. Besides national camp, I also train separately with trainers of my choice. I am grateful to the Ministry of Sports for seeing into all my needs towards my training, also my team for all the supports, in terms of planning, suggestions and logistic arrangements.
You have already said that you’ll retire post the Rio Olympics, are you going to reconsider that decision?
As of now, NO. But let us see if there be a brighter platform.
What is the plan from here on? What do you plan to do post retirement?
For the moment, my complete concentration is on training for the Rio Olympics in August. As the saying goes, “change is the only constant thing”. One of my ambition is to give a fillip to boxing in India. Towards this, I have set up a Boxing Academy in Manipur where I will personally train my students and will try to give the academy/foundation the best shape I can. The academy is sponsored by SAI and powered by Herbalife.
Women were only allowed to contest in and from the 2012 London Olympics, do you think if it was done earlier (allowed) you could have won some more Olympic medals?
Surely, I could have bagged more and better medals if Women’s boxing was included in Olympics earlier than 2012.
How do you prepare yourself before a game? How do you motivate yourself?
Firstly, nothing can be achieved without efforts. And to win something; we must be willing to sacrifice something. I have made a lot of sacrifices to achieve my current state. Secondly, it is important to identify one’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and work towards developing them. My passion for boxing and the sharp focus in training are my two strong pillars. This will be my last attempt for Olympics, and I need to do/give my best… this is how I motivate myself.
Talk to us about your diet.
Sportspersons need loads of energy and strength to endure throughout their games. And boxing, being a high endurance sport, energy and strength are at the top of the ladder. Upon that, boxing involves certain limits on our body weight; we cannot go lower or higher from the limit lay. As for me, once I start training, my weight goes down tremendously. I need to maintain it well along with being comfortable and fit. For this reason, I carry with me local rice which is rich in starch, adequate supply of Herbalife’s Formula 1 Mix Shake to supplement my requirement and Afresh Energy drink to stay energetic and alert throughout my training.
Mary, once you retire, those are big gloves to fill. Who do you think will do it?
I cannot say a word on this. Honestly, I am sometimes disappointed seeing the performances of my juniors. I don’t say they are weak or hopeless, but I expect them to beat me, taking into account my health condition and age. But they still aren’t able to. At the same time, like every profession, performance improves with practice and experience. I believe good and better boxers will come up with proper guidance.
Winning all those gold medals and competitions, do you think you too could have pulled off Vijender’s plan, given how successful he is now? Why didn’t Mary Kom turn professional?
It involves personal interest into it. Moreover, I have better plan for myself and the country in retiring.
Would you want your kids to take up boxing, or say any other sport as a career choice?
Children today are more informed and their exposure to things are very different compared to our days. It is entirely upto my children what they wish to do with their future. I am here to support and fuel their dreams and aspirations.
How does it feel to have Herbalife as your sponsor? Are you using any of their products?
I have a personal level relationship with Herbalife for a long time now. Herbalife has always stood by me. I have always appreciated their concerns towards me and my family. They are a part of my family. I am happy to have been associated with Herbalife. As I said earlier, Herbalife is partner of my boxing academy too. As for products, I use Formula 1, Afresh energy drinks, protein powder (sometimes)and cosmetic products as well.
Looking back into your life, so far, state your all time high moment.
Though small, my first achievement in the 1st World Women’s Boxing Championship held at Pennsylvania USA, in 2002 winning Silver remained one of the most exciting moments for me as it was my first experience in International level. After 10 years, winning Olympic medal in 2012 remained my all time high moment.
In any sport, emotions run high and things can sometimes go against your way. How important is it to respect a decision and not let emotions take a front seat? How do you plan to tackle such a situation?
Everybody in every field wants to win and is hard to accept loss/defeat. When I lose, it is hard for me too. But life is all about hits and misses.I always console myself saying, this is a game. Losing and winning are a part of it. Even if I lose today, I can still win tomorrow. It’s all about perseverance, determination and staying at it that it crucial.
What’s your mantra for success?
Hard work, passion, firm determination, confidence and faith.I have experienced miracles in my own life, especially on my wounds and situations. We shouldn’t ignore God’s blessings. (IBNS/T WF)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
