Still a Runner-up…?

Let's go on to talk about one of the famous women athletes in every country, Perhaps everybody knows Carolina Kluft very well here with other big names of Sharapova representing Russian Brigade and the list is too long to write here; but did everyone know the name of 4 time winner of a ‘Woman Boxing World Champion’? "Mangte Chungneijang Merykom" aka Mary Kom aka “Magnificent Mary” from Manipur- a state in north -east of India. She is a four-time world champion but many would not know her full name either.

If you would think that any victory at big global stage would tag the champions as bigwig then you're wrong. It's because of the fact that in India the prodigy of Sportswomen is nowhere.

In India, where cricket is the mostly associated sport, Boxing, with all its physical and violent dimensions, is considered a man's sports. Internationally, Laila Ali (daughter of legendary Mohammed Ali) has punched the male dominating sack; the entry of women in amateur boxing, the sport has taken on a whole new meaning in few determined country-side girls to punch against poverty and social taboos. They are cracking the cliché of gender discrimination and minority.

Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal, the two victorious names of international Tennis and Badminton aces composing their triumphs with slight difference in the spellings of their first names earned the credit with struggle; the struggle still to come out of gender isolation. In a patriarchal society as that of India it is quite difficult for sports’ women to outshine. The factors are many starting from prototype conservative attitudes to other socio-economic obstacles.

One can't recognize the champions if they are in crowd and it's a fact that the word "Endorsement" they never heard before, leaving few "golden girls" aside, a win wouldn't earn a credit or provide any edge to much-publicized allure because authority figures do not have faith in their potential.

Parminder Nagra as ‘Jess Bhamra’ (British Indian girl) twists and bends those gender bender norms while playing for community football team restricted by Indo-British strict societal/cultural rules in a movie named "Bend it like Beckham" in 2002.

Characteristically a big appreciation here goes to Bollywood. Oops! Shah rukh khan alone in "Chak De India": the movie, which proves his worth as Exemplary coach, lifting the spirit from determination to glory of Indian Women Hockey team if not in real but at least in reel.