Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 19 2009:
Lack of procedural initiative by the State government for the service promotion of MC Mary Kom has upset the champion boxer.
Mary Kom, who was recently honoured with the country's highest sports award the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna expressed displeasure at the manner the State Government had been ignoring her achievements at the global stage.
Recounting that the State Cabinet had earlier this year decided to promote her and L Sarita Devi as Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) as a token of encouragement to the duo's successes in international competitions, Mary Kom said the Cabinet decision is yet to be implemented till date.
"Besides bagging Khel Ratna, I also won gold at the recently held indoor Asian games at Hanoi, but till date no one from the government side gave a congratulatory call to me forget about holding a felicitation.
This is a discouraging trend and I feel dejected when the government keeps mum," the ace pugilist said today.
"I have got all respectable awards of the country Padmashri, Arjuna award and the Khel Ratna but it seems they have no value in my home state, Manipur," she added.
While expressing strong resentment against the absolute absence of initiative by the Government to promote her, the pin weight (47 Kilogram) boxer pointed out that on an earlier occasion the Railways and some corporate houses of the nation had offered her plum posts which she flatly rejected in view of the DSP post assured to her.
Pointing out that her feats merits a post even higher than DSP and the government should do the needful, she also confided that she will meet chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh to air all her grievances very soon.
Mary Kom nevertheless expressed that inspite of such drawbacks she is practising hard for the forthcoming commonwealth games in New Delhi and 2010 Olympics in London.
Since the lowest weight category for women boxing included from the London Olympic Games is between 48 to 51 kilograms, she has begun maintaining her nutritional supplement, the diminutive boxer said adding that a national sports promotion organisation Olympic Gold Quest has provided all requirements for her practice as well as diet.