Six-time World Champion MC Mary Kom on Wednesday reiterated that winning a gold medal for India at the Olympics remains her biggest dream and that she would not give up before achieving her goal.
The ace Indian boxer’s best-ever performance came in the 2012 London Olympics where she won the bronze medal in the 51-kg weight category. She had failed to qualify for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
However, 37-year-old has already secured her spot in the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics in the Asian/Oceania Olympic Qualifiers, held in Jordan last month.
“My focus is to win gold for India at the Olympic Games. I have been trying really hard even at this age. It was very difficult for me to qualify for the Olympics in the first place which have been postponed until next year,” Mary Kom said in a Facebook Live Session for the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
“There’s no secret mantra for me to achieve at the World Championships or the Olympics. I will keep fighting and will not give up until I win the gold for India at the Olympics,” she added.
Since her return from Amman, Mary Kom has been at her home, first due to government regulation of self-quarantine for anyone coming to India and then for the 21-day nation-wide lockdown. But she informed that she was trying to keep herself fit for the Olympics which will now take place from July 23 to August 9, 2021.
“Even though I am in quarantine, I am continuing with my preparations even at home. I am trying to stay fit as much as I can so that I can achieve my target. Sometimes it becomes difficult at home, but I do enjoy my time with my family,” she said.
“I need blessings and love of the entire nation to fulfil my dream,” she added.
The 37-year-old also urged people to stay indoors and adhere to the guidelines of the government in order to win the battle against coronavirus pandemic.
“We were not expecting this pandemic to hit us but now that it’s there, we have to make sure we adhere to the guidelines of the government. The best and the only way to help the government and the medical staff to stop the spread of coronavirus is by staying at home,” she said.
Mary Kom, a Rajya Sabha MP, has donated her one-month salary to the PM-CARES fund which was set up to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, she also released Rs 1 crore from her MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) Fund towards the relief efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
(With IANS inputs)