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Olympic Boxing: “With This Ring” – a new documentary lifts the lid on problems facing women boxers in India

By Michael O’Neill

Women’s boxing was one of the great success stories of London 2012 and  not just from an American,British or Irish viewpoint – indeed  the sport’sInternational Boxing Association (A.I.B.A)   declared that the introduction of women boxers – the last Olympic sport to include both sexes – was considered to be one of the highlights of the entire London 2012 Olympic Games, enticing spectators and media from around the world to one of the hottest venues of the past weeks.

The Katie Taylor/Claressa Shields and Nicola Adams stories  have been  featured in just about every corner of the earth and not just in their home countries -  and rightly so , yet here let us look at the great achievement of another of the world’s finest pugilists, Mary Kom from Manipur – pinweight  Mary was one of those who had to move up two weight classes just to qualify for the Olympics but yet ‘Magnificent Mary’  managed to pull off a Bronze behind new Olympic champion Nikki Adams and China’s world title holder Cancan Ren.

Mary has long  been one of the pioneers of women’s boxing and indeed has won the World  Championship crown on five occasions.  Mary and the otherIndian women have come up against every possible barrier in their home land to gain acceptance for women’s boxing and have had to fight against numerous prejudices. Later this year there will be a new documentary  “With This Ring” which should be compulsive viewing for every boxer male or female and not only in India but worldwide. The documentary’s producers Anna Sarkissian and Ameesha  Joshi    have spent the past six years following the braveIndian women boxers around the world, mainly at their own expense. So what particular problems do the Indian women face?

Let Ameesha and Anna  speaking from Canada tell us of  some of the many problems they do face and that will not go away “immediately” despite Mary Kom’s bronze in London.

“The 35-strong Indian women’s national boxing team trains year-round, six days a week in blistering heat and heavy downpours. As you can imagine, women’s boxing is neither popular nor widely accepted in India, where many women are pressured to marry and abandon their career aspirations.

They are some of the best boxers in the world. And the most under-appreciated.

These women are trailblazers in the purest sense, who can inspire others around the world to step out of the mold and pursue their passion. Though some women have risen to power and achieved prominence in India, many are still treated like second class citizens. The rate of female infanticide and sex-selective abortions is alarming, to say the least. Though these issues are complex and linked with religious, financial, and cultural concerns, suffice it to say that these boxers have had their share of hurdles and there is so much we can learn from their journey.

Though Mary is now becoming a household name (finally!), the other boxers train in relative anonymity, with little to no recognition for their achievements. There are numerous world champions (at different grades inc youth and junior)  on the team who started out with nothing and fought against centuries of tradition to rise to the top. Without this film, their inspirational stories would be cast into the shadows”.

“Young women in India are usually known as somebody’s sister, daughter, wife or mother. For the first time, they are gaining independence by setting their own goals, living independently, and taking the world by storm.

Yes, some have short hair. And yes, they show their legs and wear athletic gear–something which most Indians would frown upon. As one woman that we interviewed put it, wearing shorts amounts to “degrading women.”

Their parents are concerned. At least, they are at the beginning. With bruises or scars on their face or hands, they worry that their daughters will never marry. The importance of holy matrimony cannot be underestimated in India. It’s the most important day of your life.

Then, the boxers start winning. In the case of five-time world champion Mary Kom, her parents only found out she was a fighter when they saw her picture in the newspaper. Her father wasn’t pleased. Mary is now the most successful amateur boxer (male or female) in history and supports her husband and two children financially. Her family came around.

Boxing isn’t all about glory or world championships. Many of these women are boxing to get out of poverty. Successful athletes are often rewarded with government jobs  in the railway or police force, complete with pensions and benefits. It’s almost like hitting the jackpot.

All this doesn’t come easy. The Indian women’s national boxing team, composed of about 35  boxers, trains year-round. Whether it’s 50 degrees or 5 degrees, they wake up at dawn and start working. They generally train two to three times a day, six days a week, for up to 2 hours at a time.

Some of the boxers are also in school at the same time. Their schedule goes something like this: train, eat breakfast, school, train, eat lunch, school, dinner, train, sleep. It’s non-stop  “.

True, all  women have had to fight  against prejudice for many years to even get to the Olympics, and many great  former champions have never made it , but few have faced the   struggle that Mary Kom has  - she became India’s first ever  women’s Olympic medallist – against all the odds.

You can see clips from the documentary here via Youtube

And follow the making of the documentary via:  http://www.indiegogo.com/withthisring

More Clipts About India’s Mery Kom

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The AIBA Road to Dream Program offers athletes and coaches from underprivileged and developing countries the opportunity to participate in major AIBA events and attend intensive three week training camps in the build-up.

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By Michael O’Neill, 28 June 2012

250 male and 36 women boxers for Olympics 2012

The AIBA have this morning confirmed the full list of qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Boxing tournaments (male and female) and as forecast by SportsNewsIreland ,the  81kg “tripartite commission place” that most Irish fans hoped would go to Joe Ward has gone to Montenegro’s  Bosko Draskovic.

After a year long journey, 250 men and 36 women boxers have now qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

These Olympic Games will be a watershed moment in the history of the sport of boxing, the noblest of disciplines, with the women making their debut in three weight categories (48-51kg, 57-60kg and 69-75kg). There is huge anticipation for the competition to get started with some of the finest talent around ready and primed to set the tournament alight with displays of the highest order.

The men will be competing in ten weight divisions, from Light Fly to Super Heavyweight, with 91 having qualified at the AIBA World Boxing ChampionshipsBaku 2011, 146 through the Continental Qualifying Events, five via the inaugural World Series of Boxing season’s Individual Championships and finally eight selected as part of the Tripartite process.

The women had 25 boxers qualifying at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships Qinhuangdao 2012 with one place reserved for an athlete from the Olympic Games’ host nation whilst a further eleven were given quotas after being identified in the Tripartite selection.

The world will come to a standstill when the cream of the crop takes to the ring at the ExCeL London from 28 July to 12 August.

Who will be the ones to claim gold? See below the full list of boxers competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Link to boxers list

Article Credit: Sports News Ireland

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By Michael O’Neill – 28th June.

For Katie Taylor, the long wait is over. Now she knows who her opponents will be when she strives for that all elusive Gold in London in August.
The AIBA issued the full list of 60kg competitors this morning

1. Adriana Dos Santos ARAUJO- Brazil
2. Cheng DONG – China
3. Natasha Paula JONAS – Great Britain
4. Katie TAYLOR – Ireland
5. Saida KHASSENOVA– Kazakhstan
6. Mahjouba OUBTIL – Morocco
7. Alexis PRITCHARD – New Zealand
8. Mihaela LACATUS – Romania
9. Sofya OCHIGAVA – Russia
10. Mavzuna CHORIEVA – Tajikistan
11. Rim JOUINI – Tunisia
12. Quanitta Lee UNDERWOOD – United States

For Katie and Peter Taylor the news will come with relief as it will enable Katie to plan ahead but there will be grave disappointment that the opponents do not include such as Turkey’s Gulsum TATAR, a two times world champion nor any of the Scandinavians such as Norway’s Ingrid EGNER or Sweden’s Helena FALK.

During the World championships in China and since the Taylor’s have been vociferous in their requesting that the world’s top boxers be included and it is difficult to understand how such as Jouini, Oubtil and Pritchard came to be preferred over those mentioned. Much of course will now depend on the draw and since there are only two seeds, Taylor and Ochigava, this means that Taylor could still face any one of Jonas,Underwood or Cheng Dong in her first bout on August 6th at the Excel Centre.

The draw of course will be crucial but on form the four semi-finalists would likely include Taylor, Ochigava, Jonas and either Underwood or Cheng Dong.

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Olympic Boxing News Updates – 27 June, 2012 for: Malta, Ireland, England, Team GB, Haringey Box Cup and the AIBA

Malta - One Maltese Boxer who is doing rather well on the international amateur boxing scene is Haithem Laamouz. The Maltese boxer who originally hails from Sliema, Malta is based in London and trains at ‘The Lion Club’, under the tutelage of coaches Julian Borg and Steve Walters. Laamouz recently took gold at the fifth edition of the prestigious ‘Haringey Box Cup’ which is held annually in Wood Green, at the Alexander Palace, in London. Lammouz beat Jake Towse, of Hastings Westhill boxing club, in the 60KG class C category on a 4-1 points win. Earlier this year in March of 2012 at the Senior Elite London Finals in Croydon, the Maltese boxer made the finals and took the 60 KG championship in an all action bout against Ballinger.

Ireland – Ireland’s talented young boxers will be targeting semi-finals spots and at least a bronze medal apiece in Bulgaria today. Six Irish athletes are through to today’s European Junior Championships in Sofia. Today’s quarter-finals will be decided over two sesssion beginning at 3pm and 6.30pm local time (1pm and 4.30pm Irish time). June 27th European Junior Championships (Quarter-finals) – Afternoon session (1pm Irish time) 48kg: Jason McKay (Ireland) v Arturas Bankauskas (Lithuania), 50kg: Kalum McConville (Ireland) v Omer Koc (Turkey), 57Kg: Darren Pollock (Ireland) v Wladislaw Brayshnik (Germany), Evening sesssion (4.30pm Irish time), 60kg: Wayne Kelly (Ireland) v Alexander Morokhin (Russia), 66kg: Lewis Crocker (Ireland) v Oleksii Takarchuk (Ukraine), 75kg: Brian Wall (Ireland) v Mustafa Atmaca (Turkey).

England - The England team are still battling their way through the European Championships in Bulgaria. Each boxer has shown skill and determination throughout the tournament. England now have four boxer’s that will compete in the semi-finals tomorrow, they are Isaac Milburn (46kg), Brandon Daord (50kg), John Ruddick (54kg) and Reuben Arrowsmith (66kg).

Team GB – has recently announced their biggest ever GB Boxing squad for the 2012 Olympics. The team includes the three women who will make history by becoming the first British women to compete at the Olympic Games. Boxers on the GB team are: Andrew Selby, flyweight, up to 52 kg, Luke Campbell, bantamweight, up to 56 kg, Tom Stalker, light welterweight, up to 64 kg, Fred Evans, welterweight, up to 69 kg, Anthony Joshua, super heavyweight, +91 kg, Nicola Adams – Women’s Flyweight, 51kg, Natasha Jonas – Women’s Lightweight, 60kg, Savannah Marshall – Women’s Middleweight, 75kg, Anthony Ogogo – Men’s Middleweight, 75kg), Josh Taylor – Men’s Lightweight, 60kg. – The selections bring the total number of boxers who will fight for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics to ten – seven male and three female. They represent Team GB’s largest ever Olympic boxing squad, two more than were selected for the last Olympics in Beijing. – London is the first Olympic Games to include women’s boxing and Team GB will have plenty of reason for optimism after all three female boxers selected secured their qualification for London 2012 by winning medals at the recent World Championships in Quinhuangdao, China.

AIBA World Academy – With the grand opening of the AIBA World Academy expected for September 2013, AIBA and the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation are pleased to announce that the project is right on schedule. The revolution in grassroots development, that will see boxers from all over the world use the state of the art facilities in the beautiful setting of the Soldatskoye Valley, at the footsteps of the mountains near Almaty, is moving at great pace.

AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu – was recently elected to be the representative of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) on the International Olympic Committee Executive Board. The election took place at the ASOIF General Assembly, and Dr Wu won by competing against Mr Pat McQuaid, President of the International Cycling Union (UCI). “I have dedicated the past 30 years of my life to the development of sport and to the Olympic ideals. Today I am very proud to be able to contribute to the development and the protection all of our International Federation interests. Together with the ASOIF President, I will listen to all of you and defend your needs with dedication and with all my heart. I promise that I will do everything I can to bring our sports to the pinnacle of the Olympic movement”, stated Dr Wu after his election at the General Assembly.

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