With one eye on safety, Mary Kom begins training for Asian championships and Olympics

Express News Service

CHENNAI: IT’S been a stop-run-stop-run season so far as Mary Kom’s training and competitions are concerned. The travails of pandemic-related travel restrictions, a sudden bout of dengue and suspension of the women’s national boxing camp due to covid positives in the team  hampered her training. Keeping fit during lockdown, as she confessed, was not a problem but lack of sparring partners and lack of tournaments have given her moments of anxiety.

Mary, however, has dismissed them as just flashes — something inevitable and not to be brood upon. Now, after a four-week forced break, the London Olympic bronze medallist and multiple world champion is back in practice, waltzing across the canvass sparring whenever she can. “It is good to be back in practice,” she said from the Army Institute in Pune on Tuesday.

Safety had been a concern and Mary felt to get that demon off her back, one had to feel secured. “Safety is very important now and I feel ASI, Pune, is safe because of its restricted access and secured environs,” the mother of three said. “Once I feel assured, it is easy to concentrate.”

Mary and her ilk have been haunted by Covid. There’s a lingering fear of infection even in secure environs. “I feeling comfortable here and the authorities are very helpful and have been providing whatever we require.” The team is expected to come back to the same place after the Asian Championships in Dubai later this week.

It’s only been a few days since she resumed training after completing quarantine. And she is already at it full pelt, even training with boys from a higher weight category. It’s something that is very common for her, she’s been doing it for the best part of two decades. More than two decades later, limbs move a trifle slower coupled with a slower reaction time. Experience tends to take over.

Mary’s coach Chote Lal Yadav, who had been patiently hearing us chat, chips in with his expertise. “We have to chalk out a plan until the Olympics,” he said. “Sparring is very crucial and since ASI has boxing teams practicing, it was easy to get a couple of sparring partners,” he said. They are definitely young and agile and above Mary’s (51kg) body weight. “They are in the range of 55-56kg,” he said.

For Mary, agility and power are something she would focus on. Fighting against heavier boxers who are agile would help, felt the coach. Mary felt her coach has been the wind beneath her wing.

“There are moments when I get tired and I need a push, Chote Lal is there,” she giggles. Even at this age, after hundreds of bouts, she felt the need of someone who can push her beyond the limits. “The technique where I am going wrong what needs to be done, it’s the coach who takes care,” she said. Chote Lal has been with her for about seven years now. “I help her with video analysis, her opponents and work on her technique,” said Chote Lal.

Mary on Asian meet

Mary’s target this Olympics has been that elusive gold. And the Asian Championships in Dubai is the perfect launchpad. All top boxers across Asia have entered in the continental meet where Mary excelled to perfection. Her five gold and one silver in seven appearances is testimony to her dominance. This time, however, she is looking beyond medalling.

“Competitions are necessary to gauge our performances,” said Mary. “We know about our shortcomings in match situations and we work on that. The Asian meet will have the best from the sport and it would benefit us tremendously. The event will help us get that much-needed competition in times when it is scarce. It gives us confidence and since this will be the last tournament before Tokyo, we will have to make the best out of it. I think the BFI has done an incredible job to send us there.”

Safety has been a music that’s constantly playing in her mind. “We have to think about our safety. We will have to be very careful when we travel and we cannot afford to test positive,” she said. This Asian Championships will be of a very high standard. More than most countries sending their top boxers, the issue had been the practice and access to tournament. “Kazakistan, Uzbekistan boxers continued with their practice unlike us,” said Chote Lal.

Mary, however, is confident of doing well. “With whatever practice and training we had, I am confident of doing well,” she said.

Whatever be the outcome, one thing is sure, the India women pugilist perhaps had never entered into a tournament with so many ifs and buts behind their back.