Tardy Award to Women’s World Boxing Champion Mary Kom

North East Support Centre & Helpline Salutes Mary Kom and Sarita Devi

New Delhi, July 21, 2009: Women’s World Boxing Champion Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom is nominated for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award after much delay. The news of the Award nominated to Mary Kom and L. Sarita Devi for Arjun Award, brought joy particularly to North East communities and to whole women and sport personnel in general but raises huge questions on why the award to Mary Kom was delayed so long?

In an ESPN channel interview last night on Mary Kom’s nomination of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, unanswered question on “Why the award was not given earlier?” rises the doubt among the north east communities of step-motherly treatment to north east communities.

The delay of the award is the denied to most deserving sport personnel of the country. The delayed and denial of the award to Mary Kom earlier is a sign of racial discrimination, which is also faced by the north east communities in the country.

Mary Kom won four world champion title in 2002 held in Turkey, 2005 in Austria, 2006 in Delhi and 2008 in China. Mary Kom hails from India’s North Eastern Manipur state and belongs to a Kom tribe. [nehelpline]