Boxing legend MC Mary Kom on Saturday said that the new generation athletes are not hungry enough and will settle for just one performance.
“I'm super fit, I always want to achieve more, the hunger I have. This young generation, they (become) a (temporal) champion and in the end they are satisfied, (they) settle down. That is the difference. If you have this spirit and hunger like me, we will have so many medals in our country,” she said at an event, according to PTI.
It is pertinent to mention here that Indian athletes returned from the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year with 107 medals, with many athletes winning multiple medals.
The six-time world champion also said that she is still super fit and hopes to achieve much more in the coming years.
“I will (continue) fighting, that fighting spirit that only Mary Kom has… I have what makes other sports stars unique.” I am 41 years old and from this year onwards I cannot take part in any international (amateur) competitions because it there is an age limit. But I want to continue for one, two or three years,” she said.
She also said that she is happy that so many women are starting boxing at a young age.
“My hard work has paid off and now there are so many Mary Koms lined up. I am so proud to be a girl, a mother, an Indian…so many are following in my footsteps,” she said.
“The training is hard. The inner hunger and drive are most important. Now the facilities are better. When I started my career in 2001, no one knew about women in boxing,” she added.
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First uploaded on: 06-01-2024 at 20:33 IST
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