'I am actually quicker now than before,' Boxing legend Mary Kom tells Pavan Lall.
Sarita (60kg), who was banned for a year due to her emotional outburst at the Asian Games medal ceremony after losing a controversial semi-final bout, returned to the country from the Chinese city of Qian'an on Friday. The Manipuri fought three bouts and won two of them during the competition which featured rivals from hosts China, Korea, Mongolia and Thailand.
Controversy hit the Asian Games boxing competition after India's L Sarita Devi (60kg) had to settle for a bronze medal despite dominating her semifinal bout in Incheon on Tuesday.
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.
'Those who don't believe in my character are free to come to Manipur and stay with me for a few days to know exactly who I am,' says Onler Karong Kom, Mary Kom's husband.
Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh criticised boxer Sarita Devi for refusing to accept the bronze medal during the Incheon Asian Games victory ceremony last year, saying it was not proper to protest that way.
Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu bagged a gold and silver, respectively, in women's 48kg weightlifting in a display of overwhelming domination to open India's medal account on the opening day of the competition in the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday.
Rising Indian boxer Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar(64kg) endured draining contests but came out triumphant to enter the quarterfinals on a bitter-sweet day for India in the World Boxing Championships in Almaty (Kazakhstan) on Monday.
Putting an end to the status of the bronze medal won by Indian woman boxer L Sarita Devi, the Olympic Council of Asia on Thursday re-instated her medal in the 60kg category after a hearing with the India's Asian Games contingent officials in Incheon.
India survived a final-quarter onslaught from Argentina for a nail-biting 2-1 win that enhanced their quarterfinal chances at the men's hockey competition of the Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. The second win in the Pool stage has virtually secured India a quarterfinal berth as they rose to the second position with six points.
Concerned about the administrative logjam in Indian boxing, Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom said future seems dark for the country's pugilists, who are losing motivation to train.
The newly-formed common forum of Northeast insurgent groups based in Myanmar has posed a renewed threat to security and peace in the troubled region.
It is learnt that the SNLTR is also working on Bangla classics.
'Where is the analysis that we need to spend at least Rs 4 trillion to keep India safe?'
Devakanta from Manipur shows the way in conserving and protecting the biodiversity of the state.
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.
Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom once again led the charge as she packed a powerful punch by assuring herself at least a silver medal in the fly weight category (48-51kgs) after beating Vietnam's Le Thi Bang at the 17th Asian Games, in Incheon on Tuesday.
Former World Championships bronze medallist Vikas Krishan (75kg) was the lone Indian to make it to the finals, as three others settled for bronze medals after losing hard-fought semi-final contests, in the Asian Boxing Championships, in Jakarta, on Friday. He defeated Iraq's Waheed Abdulridha 3-0 to set up a clash with Uzbekistan's Bektemir Melikuziev in Saturday's final.
Archer Atanu Das and boxer Vikas Krishan entered the pre-quarterfinals, while the men's hockey team stood up to the challenge posed by Argentina to virtually sew up a last-eight spot on a reasonably successful day for Indian athletes in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Veteran boxer Sarita Devi, who is currently serving a provisional suspension, has found support from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar who has written a letter to the Sports Minister urging him to support her and ensure that her career is not terminated prematurely.
Najima Bibi is a candidate of PRJA party of Irom Sharmila and is contesting from Wabgai constituency.
Playwright and novelist Cyrus Mistry's English novel Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer and K R Meera's Aarachar in Malayalam are among the works that have won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award for this year.
Rank-outsiders India may have a 'small percentage' of winning their tournament opener in the FIFA U-17 World Cup against what he expects to be an attacking USA team, coach Luis Norton de Matos said on Thursday.
'One week after the release of PINK, audiences in India will witness another strong feminist tale, this one set in rural India,' says Aseem Chhabra.
Sanjeev Nayyar travels across India from Barmer to Arunachal to Mahabalipuram, and comes back humbled and impressed with the women he interacted with through his journey.
Long before she became a political legend, there was Jayalalitha, the actress.
Top-ranked women recurve archer Deepika Kumari of Jharkhand created two national records in the FITA round on the opening day of the 34th Senior National Archery Championship at JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur.
London Olympics bronze-medallist MC Mary Kom led the charge as six Indian boxers stormed into the final with comprehensive wins to remain in hunt for all the 10 medals on offer at the 12th South Asian Games, in Shillong, on Sunday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
'It is not about women today; it's about men.' 'We need to focus our energy on a war footing on men.' 'Let us start with a boy who is 10 years old.' 'If you don't concentrate on your son, the safe spaces for women will shrink further.'
Eugenson Lyngdoh had found the net in the 32nd minute for the hosts but Rafael Coelho Luiz (34) and Jonatan Lucca (44) brought FC Goa back into the game. Mutu (90+4') scored the late equaliser to salvage a point for Pune City.
On the occasion of her breaking the world's longest hunger strike, Rediff.com reproduces this 2011 feature on the activist and her life.
Iconic rights activist Irom Sharmila on the highs and lows of her long fast, why she gave it up and her plans.
Archery was one discipline which generated a lot of hype in the run-up to the Olympics and the let-down was one of the big blows to India's hit-and-miss overall campaign of one silver and one bronze medal show in Rio 2016.
Rights activist Irom Sharmila, who is on a fast for over 13 years in Manipur demanding repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, on Wednesday told a Delhi court that she was very much eager to eat if she gets the assurance that the "draconian" Act will be revoked.
As the one-year ban for the tearful outburst at the Asian Games ends on Thursday, former World champion Laishram Sarita Devi says the forced sabbatical proved a blessing in disguise and helped her become a thinking boxer and calmer person.
Sukanya Verma returns underwhelmed after watching Mary Kom.
Calling people of the northeastern region by "derogatory" names will soon become a non-bailable offence and land you in jail for up to five years.
For the 12th successive time, none could match up to India's regional might but the host country's record-breaking medal haul of 308 can hardly hide the fact that the standard of competition in the South Asian Games has failed to rise significantly.
Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Uttar Pradesh Dhananjay Singh and his wife Jagriti were on Tuesday arrested in connection with the murder of their 35-year-old maid and "mercilessly" torturing another minor domestic help with sticks and rods.
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