Since Wednesday morning, there were murmurs that laishram Sarita Devi, who was denied a sureshot victory over South Korea’s Jina Park in the semi-final on Tuesday, might not come for the medal ceremony of the women’s lightweight (57-60 kg) boxing event in protest against the great injustice done to her.
However, Sarita returned to the ring, the same place where her dreams of winning an Asian Games gold medal were brutally murdered by biased judges a day earlier. She tried hard to not get overwhelmed but the moment she stepped on the podium, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medalist couldn’t control her emotions and broke down.
At that very moment, she realised she couldn’t take this Bronze medal home. It would have kept reminding her about the gross injustice meted out to her and she wouldn’t be able to move forward in life, she thought. Finally, she didn’t accept the medal.
The 32-year-old Manipur boxer didn’t bend down to wear the medal around her neck. Instead, she received it in her hands before presenting it to the Korean boxer Park.
For a moment, the Seonhak Gymnasium went completely silent. No one had expected such a move. She just knocked out everyone. Her action spoke louder than the words that have been said or written since Tuesday’s incident.
“What I did today was not just for myself. It was for all the players in the world. I have sacrificed my medal for all the hapless athletes who have gone through the same ordeal,” Sarita told mediapersons.
“I wanted to put my nation’s flag on top. I worked so hard for this. I left my small baby with my relatives to train for this event. I am deeply hurt by this incident. I cannot take the medal with me. I wouldn’t be able to continue if I take this medal home. I have struggled a lot for this medal,” she added and broke down once again.
Park, who looked rattled by the turn of events, left the medal on the podium. The medal kept lying there for several minutes as the organisers were caught unawares and didn’t know what to do with it.
Sarita’s husband Thoiba Singh said it wasn’t a planned action but now that she has done that, he stands by her.
“It was a spontaneous decision. We didn’t plan it before going there. I told her that whatever she wanted to do on the podium, do that. I am with you. The world is with you,” Thoiba said.
“Now she is happy and relieved. She has done a great job for the world sporting community. By returning her medal, she wanted to set an example that this is not acceptable. She deserved to be in the final. It could have been silver or gold, that’s a different matter,” he added.
Sarita, who returned to the ring after a two-year-break during which she had a baby through caesarean, complained that so far no official from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) or the newly formed Boxing India (BI) has approached her and say a few comforting words.
“It’s been 24 hours since the incident but, so far, no Indian official has come or tried to contact and console me. This is totally unacceptable. They come here and sit in the VIP gallery but they don’t have time to come and talk to me for a few minutes. The officials, who claim to be our guardians in this foreign land, were here when that injustice was done on me.
If it would have happened to be their daughters, what would they have doneIJ Would they still be quiet,” she asked.
“I understand that the decision can’t be changed but at least they could have stood by my side and protest against the blatant injustice,” Sarita added.
Her refusal to accept the medal could jeopardise her future as she might be banned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) from participating in future events, including the 2016 Olympics.
But she laughed the fear away. “Zindagi me kuch pane ke liye kuch khona padta hai (To gain something, you have to sacrifice something). For boxing and for the betterment of future generation, if I have to sacrifice my career, I am ready to do that,” she said.
“But I am going to continue boxing. I am not quitting,” she added.