Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju felicitates medal winning women boxers

Union Sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday felicitated Indian women boxers for their exceptionally skillful performance at the recently concluded Women's World Boxing Championship. The Championship was organised in Ulan-Ude, Russia.

In the recently concluded World Championship, India won a total of four medals - one silver and three bronze - at the championships. The championship also witnessed India's best performance so far. Boxer Manju Rani was awarded a cash prize of Rs 14 lakhs. She won a Silver medal at the event. All the bronze medalists including, MC Mary Kom, Lovlina Borgohain, and Jamuna Boro - were awarded Rs 8 lakh each.

Post winning a Bronze medal at the Championship, Mary Kom's medal tally reached a total of 8 World Championship medals. This also made the legendary boxer the most successful in the World Championships where she has managed to win 8 medals out of her 9 appearances.

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Making a successful debut at the Championships and making the whole nation proud, boxers Manju Rani (48 Kg) and Jamuna Boro (54 Kg) won a medal each. Borgohain won her second consecutive medal at the World Championships - a bronze in the 69 kg category.

The Indian women boxers now have two chances to qualify for the Olympics through the Asia and Oceania Qualifier in Wuhan from February 3-14 and the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Paris from May 13-24.

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'Women Boxers have brought honour to the country- Kiren Rijiju

Expressing his delight and stating that the women boxers have brought honour to their country, Kiren Rijiju, in his official statement said, "Four medals have been a record for India. It has brought a kind of revolution for Indian boxing history as well as it has inspired other arenas (of sports) also. Which is really good."

"This token money prize that we are giving to the winners is encouragement from the government side but what is more important is that they have brought honour for the country and that they have not returned empty-handed. So whether it's boxing, weightlifting or other events India is breaking grounds and we are achieving better than what we had," he added. 

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(With inputs from ANI)