When Chungneijang Mery Kom Hmangte, better known as Mary Kom, raised her arms after a hard-fought split decision over Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbebova in the final of the 51kg class at the Asian Games in Incheon yesterday, the Indian bower’s face was a picture of delight.
Though Kom and Shekerbebova both lifted a hand in victory at the final bell, only Kom did so with conviction and her confidence proved justified when she was awarded a 2-0 split decision.
The 31-year-old Kom, mother of three children, has a string of world championship golds to her name and a similarly large collection from the Asian women’s boxing championships. But yesterday’s Asian Games gold is special in the career of the 31-year-old which also includes Olympic bronze from 2012.
This was her first competition in two years and her first since her second caesarean operation. She was boxing in a higher weight category than the one in which she has boxed for most of her 12-year-career, so her opponents are often taller and heavier.
The win is particularly sweet as Kom was defeated in the Indian trials for a place on the team for the recent Commonwealth Games and missed the trip to Glasgow. And even in this bout she was given a stern test by Shekerbebova.
“It was 50-50, I couldn’t catch up. The opening (round) was very fast, very strong,” she said of the only round of the bout that was lost.
The final scenes could not have contrasted more starkly to that in the boxing ring 24 hours earlier as Indians Sarita Devi and Devendro Singh controversially lost semi-final matches to South Koreans Park Ji Na and Shin Jong Hun despite seeming to come out on top.
Shortly after Kom claimed gold, a visibly distraught Devi took part in her own medal ceremony but declined to accept her bronze medal which was eventually left on the podium after she departed.
“For many years we have been fighting, it happens sometimes that those who are hosting get the support,” Kom said. “We know Sartia Devi won the bout so we are really upset about that.”
But in sport there is rarely time for winners and losers to dwell on success or failure. Kom backed Devi to return to winning ways and already has her own next goals lined up. “I will prepare for the world championship and Olympic qualifying, we are training for that,” she said.
India had left Mary off their Commonwealth Games squad in July in favour of Pinky Jangra. The hurt caused by that decision still rankles the boxer from Manipur. She believes her achievements and experience should have tipped the scales in her favour. But it also gave her the motivation to shut her doubters up.
“I am proving them wrong because I am fighting,” she said after qualifying for the Asian Games. “I am proving myself again.” She has been true to her word.