Boxer Manisha Moun never anticipated that she would get to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Her recent bronze win at the Women’s World Boxing Championships got her the opportunity, and she couldn’t be more excited.
“PM ji khud khiladiyon ko bula rahein hain, motivate kar rahe hain. Isse badi baat nahin ho sakti… His behaviour was like a parent. He asked about our game, diet, etc. Humne bola humein selfie leni hai, unhone kaha jo mann mein hain woh bolo. Apnapan sa laga unse baat karke,” the 24-year-old from Kaithal, Haryana, shares.
After her return from the championships held in Turkey, she was felicitated by the Sports Authority of India and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur.
“Mere college walon ne bhi programme kiya. Gaanv mein bhi hua tha,” she shares about the pride of her well-wishers on her achievement. But nothing beats the delight of ghar ka khana for her, and she shares she’s looking forward to having malpua. “Meri nani ji aayengi aur khilayengi,” she adds.
What makes her victory more admirable is that she has returned to international games this year after a surgery for an elbow injury. She tells us, “I recovered in three months to be able to play at the National Championship.
Woh bhi World Championships ke liye, kaise na kaise team mein select hona tha. When the World Championships got delayed, I got more time to prepare. The Boxing Federation of India staff also motivated us a lot.”
Moun also shares that her father broke into tears when she came home as a World Championships medallist. A tractor mechanic, he wasn’t always supportive of her interest in sports, though. “Main 14 ki thi jab gali mein khelne jaati thi, toh unhone mana kiya ki boxing nahin karni hai. But once I won games toh unko laga ki haan meri beti mein hai talent… Unse jitna ho sakta tha unhone kiya,” she shares.
The athlete, who has been representing India at the international level since 2018, is happy to see Indian women doing well in sports. “Humari kuch ladkiya international level pe India ko represent kar chuki hain. Unko dekh ke bahut khushi hoti hai,” she says, adding that it feels great to be able to inspire the youth.