New Delhi: Stranded at the airport for nearly 24 hours and without their luggage for a good part of the competition, Indian women boxers had to deal with more than just opponents at the Nation’s Cup event in Serbia but showed tremendous fortitude to return with six medals including a gold.
The 10-member team returned to the country early Tuesday morning after finishing third in the competition behind powerhouses Kazakhstan and Russia.
Haryana-girl Neeraj (51kg), competing in his maiden international tournament, stood out with a gold medal, while Sarjubala Devi (48kg), Priyanka Chaudhary (60kg), Pooja (69kg) and Seema Punia settled for silver medals. Veteran Kavita Goyat (75kg) was the lone bronze-medallist.
The girls reached Vrbas, where the event was staged, a night before the competition started. This was after a gruelling journey that was stretched by close to 24 hours due to cancellation of flights following snowstorms across Europe.
“All Turkish Airlines flights had been cancelled and we were stuck at the airport which resembled a madhouse with so many people stranded from all over the world,” chief coach Gurbax Sandhu, who has been made in charge of the women’s category, informed.
“The federation got us on another flight as quickly as they could. But once we landed in Vrbas, we realised our luggage had not arrived. Thankfully, the girls had kept their fighting gear and gum shields in their hand baggages. But then their medical books were in luggage.
“The organisers however, were very cooperative, the supervisor allowed us to compete without medical books as we were stuck in extraordinary circumstances,” Sandhu added.
Sandhu pointed out that the girls in spite of not getting any time to relax or get acclimatised gave a great account of themselves.
“Hats off to the girls. They were marvellous in the way they handled the situation. Not one girl complained, they managed things in their own little ways but did not let the situation affect their performances. In fact none of them showed any discomfort in adjusting to the new format also,” Sandhu stated.
PTI
