TURA: For the lady with the gloves it was a sight to witness men with boots in the field. No alien to contact sports; for MC Mary Kom, this was, however, a totally different game altogether. She watched, enrapt in glee as men on the field slugged it out, minus the punches, jostling for space and fame.
Tura played host, for the first time, to an Olympian as 2012 Olympics bronze medallist in boxing M C Mary Kom witnessed the finals of the 8th Tura MP Cup between 2nd Meghalaya Police Battalion and Druma Sandruma at Dakopgre stadium.
The legendary boxer was invited to Garo Hills to grace the finals of the PA Sangma Sports Academy’s football tournament by Tura Lok Sabha MP Agatha K Sangma. A special memento was also handed over to Mary Kom by Purno A Sangma.
The Olympian was given a colourful welcome through a traditional Wangala dance troupe as she arrived at the field dressed in a colourful Garo Dakmanda dress with head gear as the crowd applauded her. She was accompanied by her mother and son.
As news of Mary Kom’s arrival in Tura spread, several thousand people thronged the venue to see for themselves for the first time North East India’s pride in the sports world.
Players from both teams- 2nd Meghalaya Police Battalion and Druma Sandruma- battled it out in the finals with the latter emerging as the winner.
Druma Sandruma netted three goals against Police Battalion’s solitary goal.
A cash prize of Rs 1 lakh was awarded to the winners with a trophy while the runners-up walked away with fifty thousand rupees. The trophy was handed over by Mary Kom.
The best player of the tournament went to Maneswar Boro of Druma Sandruma while Rother Ch Marak of Dobugre football club received the award for netting the highest number of goals during the tournament.
The best goalkeeper award went to Silrak Sangma of 2nd MLP Battalion and Haldibari football club received the best disciplined team award.
Others who witnessed the finals and spoke on the occasion included former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, sitting Lok Sabha MP from Tura Agatha K Sangma, Dadenggre MLA James Pangsang K Sangma and South Tura MLA John Leslee K Sangma.
It may be mentioned that Mary Kom is a five-time World Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. She is also the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category and winning the bronze medal.