Days after adding a Commonwealth Gold medal to her name, India's boxing maverick Mary Kom declared that she has no intentions of retiring from boxing anytime soon.
Singling out a query concerning her age (presently she is 35) and her retirement plans, the 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist claimed, "It's all in the head! The age factor and retirement" before she went on to challenge the interrogator - although jokingly - to present himself on the dais so that she could teach him a lesson or two in boxing.
In a felicitation ceremony organised to honour India's boxing contingent, which wrapped up an impressive performance at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with nine medals (3 each of Gold, Silver and Bronze) Mary Kom declared that retirement will never be on the table as long as she is training.
"There will be performances both good and bad, and I'm not saying I'll win everytime, but as long as I train, I will always be a tough one to beat," she quoted.
Mary, who beat Northern Ireland's Kristen O'Hara in the final of the 48 kg category at the Commonwealth Games to become India's first woman to win a CWG medal in boxing, claimed that she was happy to have proven herself before all the naysayers.
"I'm really happy with what we have achieved. There were people who had some negative things to say, but I'm happy that I proved them wrong. It makes me feel good," Kom stated.
Moreover, following a successful CWG campaign, Mary looked pleased with how India's women's boxing coach Raffaele Bergamasco's experience coupled with supports from her personal coach Chhote lal Yadav and men's coach Santiago Nieva elevated the team to higher levels of performance in the ring.
"Raffaele is a highly experienced mentor. I'm really happy with what we have achieved with each other. Together we have created history for India. If I had not participated in the Commonwealth Games, I would have always regretted not winning a CWG medal. But now, with Raffaele and the other members of the staff, Chhote lal and even Santiago, who took time to help us, that dream has been fulfilled," said Mary before alluding to her wish of fulfilling yet another dream - a medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Raffaele, however, dictated a slightly different methodology of achieving unfulfilled dreams: to work step by step without fretting about what lies in the distant future. The difference, nevertheless, doesn't seem to be bothering either Mary or Raffaele. The Italian maestro's delight towards Kom's heroics in Gold Coast is evident enough to support that.
"I'm very happy with what we have achieved," Raffaele stated rather joyously. "My approach includes a step by step methodology and I'm impressed with how the girls have applied it to their routine and won something with it."
When asked about the team's future goals, Raffaele emphasised that it is impossible for one elite athlete to deliver top notch performances in every successive competition, which is why it is important to first rest and then talk about the road ahead. He also stressed on the importance of the World Championships which have been scheduled for November this year.
"We've just finished our Commonwealth campaign. Now the team will rest and then I'll speak to them. You see, it's not possible to put up top performance in all competitions. We have the Asian Games and then the World Championships. Some have proved themselves in the Commonwealth Games, now others will get a chance to perform in the Asian Games. Then the best will go to the World Championships, which for me is the most important competition," Raffaele explained.
The Indian women's coach also revealed how he prepared Mary Kom for the final in Gold Coast, once again highlighting his step by step methodology.
"I spoke with Mary two months ago," Raffaele recalled. "I told her that you will work on day to day basis, and not for the long distance."
He then went on to suggest that he already had other names up his sleeve. 20-year-old lovlina, who had a good run up to the 69 kg quarterfinal round in Gold Coast, was one of those names.
"Young girl. Very best," Raffaele remarked about the promising pugilist from Assam before he animatedly declared, "In the coming years, we will have not one but two, three Mary Koms in India!"