New Delhi: After proving her mettle inside the ring, Khel Ratna awardee woman boxer MC Mary Kom is now busy making a transition to coaching as well by setting up an academy in Imphal even while she guns for a fifth world title herself.
The 27-year-old, with a little help from Army and CRPF, has set up an academy in the Manipur capital and currently has 17 girls under her aegis.
"I started the academy in 2007 but it has become more active only now. The army gave me equipment worth Rs 5 lakh while the CRPF also chipped in with equipment worth Rs 4 lakh," the mother-of-two told reporters on the sidelines of a press conference to announce her association with nutritional supplements brand.
Dubbed `Magnificent Mary` by the International Boxing Association for her unprecedented four world titles, the diminutive pin weight (46kg) pugilist is one of the rare active athletes to be training youngsters.
"There are 17 girls right now at the academy and we make sure that they get accommodation while they train there. They are in the age group of 14 to 18," she said.
Talking about her own career, Mary Kom said she is looking forward to the upcoming World Championships in September and the Asian Games in November.
"I have been training hard and since the pin weight would be replaced by light fly weight (48kg), I would have to bulk up a bit for which I would take nutritional supplements," she said.Mary Kom once again advocated the appointment of a foreign coach for the boxers.
"New ideas are always welcome. A foriegn coach would bring a fresh perspective and that would help everyone. It would be good for our preparations for the Asian Games where women`s boxing would be featured for the first time," she said.
A brand ambassador for the Commonwealth Games here this year, Mary Kom said she would have felt happier if women`s boxing had been included in the event."It is disappointing but then nothing can be done now. I am happy and surprised to be named a brand ambassador for the Games despite the fact that women`s boxing is not there in the Games," she said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.