Celebrated boxer M C Mary Kom will aim for a historic sixth gold at the AIBA Women' World Championships, the build up of which has been marred by a row over lone Kosovan boxer's participation and poor quality air in the national capital.
Mary will be up against fellow Indian and Asian Championships bronze medallist Nikhat Zareen in a blockbuster semi-final as the duo confirmed two medals for India.
Mary Kom, who claimed an unprecedented sixth gold by winning the 48kg summit bout in the Women's World Championships, in New Delhi, said she became a smarter fighter in the later part of her career.
'Our boxers are mature and strong enough to withstand these kinds of shocks.'
It's final. The speculation over Mary Kom, the five times world champion's, participation at Rio is over.
MC Mary Kom inched one step closer towards her sixth gold medal at the Women's World Boxing Championships after beating Kim Hyang Mi of North Korea in the semi-finals of the 48kg.
India's best medal hope, five-time World boxing champion M C Mary Kom lived up to expectations as she beat Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan to win the gold medal in the flyweight category (48-51kgs) at the Asian Games, in Incheon, on Wednesday.
Impressed with the hockey team's showing at the recently-concluded Asian Games, Sports Minister Sarbanada Sonowal said the gold medal triumph could act as a "trigger" for more good things to come.
Every medal is a story of struggle, says the indomitable M C Mary Kom, who considers her fifth Asian Championship gold medal special as it came despite the many roles she has had to play outside the ring in the past one year.
'I am feeling so nervous. I will be among so many big politicians.' 'It is a big responsibility and I hope I learn every day and do something for the people in whatever way I can.'
Mary Kom is a victory for its protagonist Priyanka Chopra, scriptwriter Saiwyn Quadras, and director Omung Kumar, says Laxmi Negi.
'Mary just stopped talking to me. Maybe she did not like the fact that she was the gold medallist, but it was me (Sarita), not her, who was getting all the attention.'
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