Boxing: Mary Kom can still hope for an Olympic gold

The undisputed queen of women boxing, MC Mary Kom can still hope to realise her childhood dream of winning an Olympic gold after the possibility of the inclusion of women’s boxing.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has filed an application to the IOC for the inclusion of women’s boxing into the 2012 Olympic Games. A decision on this application will be made at the end of 2009,” said Richard Baker of AIBA PR & Communications

Earlier, it was reported that women’s boxing is not going to be part of the Olympic programme and if the discipline is bestowed the honour, it would only be in 2016. Mary would be 33 years old then.

MC Mary Kom had re-asserted her status as the world’s most successful woman boxer by clinching an unprecedented fourth successive gold medal at the fifth AIBA World Championships on 29 November 2008.

The Manipuri boxer had remained away from the ring for two years to take care of her twin babies after completing a hat-trick of World Championship golds in New Delhi.

The pint-sized pugilist returned to don the gloves this year at the Asian Championships in September where she failed to retain her gold and settled for a silver.

She claimed the National title earlier this month before leaving for the World Championship to achieve the spectacular feat.

Shooting:World record holder Narang eyes London Olympics

Gagan Narang is setting his eyes on the Olympic Gold in the London edition. Talking to CNN IBN here is what he said,

India’s first and only individual gold medal in Olympics, Abhinav Bindra, could not shoot a perfect score at the Games but compatriot Gagan Narang shot a perfect 600 and then smashed another world record as he won the 10 meter Air rifle world cup final in Bangkok last week.

Narang has returned home after winning his biggest title till date – the World Cup final.

The field comprised of only the top 10 performers of the year including the Olympic medallists.

Narang won shooting 600 out of 600 to equal the world record in the 10 meter air rifle qualifiers and then a 103.5 in the final to create a new world record for overall score.

“It feels marvellous. I feel on top of the world to achieve what I have always though about. I have done it in training, I have done it in competitions but never officially so it is good,” says Narang.

It’s been a dramatic turnaround for the Hyderabadi shooter. He was the man in form but famously missed out on the Olympic final on a technicality and watched from the stands as Bindra created history in Beijing.

“It was quite disappointing for me at the Olympic Games. a lot of people who thought very highly of me weren’t thinking highly because I missed narrowly,” he says about Beijing Olympic Games.

The loss in the Olympics has made Narang more determined and he’s already got London in his sights.

“I have to sit down and chalk out a plan as to which competitions I want to attend and which competitions I would want to peak at, which are the important competitions for us,” he reveals his future plans.

Beijing was a blip in the radar for Gagan but unfortunately recognition in India is more or less dependent on Olympic glory and it’s a wrong he is determined to correct.