Kolkata: MC Mary Kom's nomination for the coveted Padma Bhushan will motivate budding boxers and it is a huge honour for the North East region of the country, said 2002 CWG silver medallist boxer Som Bahadur Pun.
Mary Kom, who hails from Manipur, won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and was tonight named for the third highest civilian award by the Indian government.
"It's a big achievement for North-East. The news has trickled in when IABF is going through a crisis. I'm sure more and more upcoming boxers will be motivated by this. Mary Kom once again has proved that she's the pride of North East," Som Bahadur Pun, who as adjudged the Best Boxer at 2002 Commonwealth Games told PTI from Shillong.
"Being a mother of two, Mary Kom has shown amazing determination to get to highest level. She is dedication personified. Getting a medal in her first ever Olympics and when the women's boxing was introduced speaks volumes about her achievement,"Pun said.
Indian Boxing Federation (IABF), suspended by AIBA, the world governing body of the game, also welcomed the news.
"It's not only an achievement but a biggest reward for our efforts to introduce women's boxing in India way back in 2000 during the Nationals," Asit Banerjee, IABF vice-president said.
"Mary Kom's journey started from Kolkata when she first competed in the Open East India Championship held at the South Kolkata Physical Cultural Association in 1999. So I'm the happiest man on earth today," he said.
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