Sorry I couldn't win Gold or Silver: Mary Kom after winning Bronze
Hours before her semi-final bout, Mary Kom had tweeted: "Ready for my match.
Thanks all for your wishes. Hope to make my country proud. Jai Hind!" She did India proud with her effort.
Sorry I couldn't win Gold or Silver: Mary Kom after winning Bronze | Boxing | NDTVSports.com
State government to fulfill promises made to Mary Kom long ago
New Delhi: Diminutive police officer M C Mary Kom is to be feted by the Manipur state government and also given a piece of land for setting up a boxing academy for her feat of ensuring a medal at the Olympic Games in London.
The five-time world champion had been promised a promotion and land by the state government after she became a world champion for the fourth time in 2010,
but the promise was not fulfilled.
"
She was promised that she would be promoted to the Additional ASP's post in Manipur Police, besides a two acre piece of land for her academy.
Two years have passed since the procedures were started by the state government and now they say that they would club it with her Olympic medal," Mary's husband Onler Kom told PTI from London.
"Mary doesn't even know about this move by the government but if this is the case, we don't want any incentive.
"It is unfair that a promise made two years ago is fulfilled by clubbing it with an altogether new achievement that has its own significance," he added.
The 29-year-old became only the third Indian woman ever to ensure an Olympic medal after reaching the semifinals of the 51kg weight category in London on Monday.
Mary was India's lone flag bearer as women's boxing made its Olympic debut in London.
State government to fulfill promises made to Mary Kom long ago | Boxing | NDTVSports.com
Indian wrestlers will start their campaign from tomorrow, we have 5 wrestlers in the Olympics including 1 women wrestler
Wrestlers keen to provide late sparks to India's Olympic campaign
Indian grapplers will join the Olympic action from on Thursday hoping to provide the late sparks to the contingent's campaign which has so far not really lived upto expectation with the flop show of many of the serious medal contenders.
The wrestlers had won a bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics Games through Sushil Kumar and will be keen to improve upon their tally when the freestyle competitions get underway at the ExCel Arena.
All eyes will be on Sushil again as he spearheads the Indian challenge in the 66kg category, but with stiff competition expected from other wrestlers, it remains to be seen whether he can repeat his Beijing feat, and thus become the first Indian to win back-to-back Olympic medals.
India has fielded a record five wrestlers for the Olympics and Yogeshwar Dutt (60kg) is also being talked about as a medal prospect. Narsingh Pancham Yadav (74kg), Amit Kumar Dahiya (74kg) and Geeta Phogat (55kg) are the other grapplers in the fray.
Yogeswhar narrowly missed out reaching the semi-finals in the Beijing Games and is determined to make amends here. Going by his performance in the lead-up to the mega-event, he is quite capable of springing a surprise.
"If I would have won a medal in the Beijing, probably I would not have been competing in the London Games," said Yogeshwar, who suffered a career-threatening knee injury just after the 2008 edition.
"The only inspiration for me to make a comeback from the injury was to be able to contest in the London Olympics and bring laurels to my country," said the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist," he had said.
But clearly, it will be Sushil, who will be carrying the burden of a billion hopes on his sturdy shoulders.
The wrestler gave evidence of his class by fetching a gold in the World Qualifying Tournament earlier this year, raising hopes of a good performance in the Olympics. But many of the established Indian stars have failed in these Games, so Sushil has to guard against complacency.
Coming to the younger lot, Amit Kumar's advent to the senior level has been fantastic, but his lack of experience at the big stage may turn out to be his nemesis, although the 19-year-old is talented enough to make himself count at the Olympics.
Amit surprised one and all with his performance in the Asian Qualifiers by clinching a gold in the 55kg freestyle but he is aware that it won't be a cake walk in London.
Narsingh, the 74kg free-style wrestler from Maharashtra has been around for some time now and knows all the tricks of the trade. He is hailed as one of the brightest prospects but like Amit, he also would be participating in his debut Olympics.
In the women's category, the lone Indian to make the cut for the marquee event, Geeta Phogat (55kg), has a tough challenge at hands, but she is capable of springing a surprise. And if she gets a top-eight seeding she might even finish on the podium.
"Geeta has the ability to surprise and cause a few upsets and if she gets a place in the top eight then certainly I can say that she will be a step closer to the medal," women's chief coach O P Yadav had said.
Wrestlers keen to provide late sparks to India's Olympic campaign | Wrestling | NDTVSports.com
Apart from Sushil Kumar i am confident of Yogeshwar Dutt too.