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Principal Secretary to Uttarakhand Chief Minister, R.K. Sudhanshu, held a courtesy meeting with Olympic medalist, world-renowned boxer, and former Rajya Sabha member Mary Kom on Thursday in Dehradun.
During the meeting, meaningful discussions were held on various possibilities for encouraging youth participation in sports and nurturing their talent through collaboration with corporate entities and non-governmental organisations. In line with the Chief Minister's vision, deliberations also focused on providing better sports infrastructure, training, and opportunities to inspire young people towards sports, strengthen the sporting culture in the state, and create avenues for athletes from the state to excel at national and international levels. An Olympic medallist and six-time world champion, Mary Kom is an unrefuted boxing legend. She is a six-time (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2018) world champion, a record in women's boxing, while her other podium finish, a bronze, came in 2019. Mary Kom's breakthrough on the world stage came in 2002 when she became the first Indian boxer to win a gold medal at the World Championships, marking the beginning of one of the most celebrated careers in Indian sport. The defining moment of her illustrious journey, however, arrived at the London 2012 Olympics. With women's boxing making its debut at the Summer Games, Mary Kom emerged as India's lone female representative in the sport and etched her name into history by claiming a bronze medal in the women's flyweight category. The achievement was particularly significant as it marked only India's second-ever Olympic boxing medal, following Vijender Singh's bronze at Beijing 2008. Mary Kom also became just the third Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, joining weightlifting pioneer Karnam Malleswari, who won bronze at Sydney 2000, and badminton star Saina Nehwal, who secured bronze at the same London Games. (ANI)
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