Kolkata: International Institute of Hotel Management, IIHM, organised a 4 km run on 20th February 2016, Saturday, for promoting Ms Sarita Devi, Arjuna and twice World champion, and also bronze medal winner in 2014 Asian Games. After a forgettable year she is again back with a bang, winning gold in recently concluded South Asian games in Shillong.
This run was also to provide her moral support and encouragement to win medal in Rio Olympics.
The theme was, Run for a champ who refused to give up. About 700 students of IIHM ,including teachers, and staff came together to support the champ, who also walked with the enthusiastic students. Some boxing academy students also joined in the rally, which started from Saltlake city centre 1 and after covering about 4 km concluded at the same place. Sarita Devi was elated and thanked the efforts of IIHM for coming out to support her quest for glory in Rio Olympics.
Sarita Devi operated her hand few months back and informed that she is fine now. She had also won gold in the recently concluded South Asian Games. Sarita quoted on Rio Olympics preparation saying, “Olympic is a mega event. I know it will be the toughest of all competitions. Winning a medal in the Olympics is my ultimate dream.”
She had best wishes for her colleagues Mary Kom and Priyanka Chaudhary in the Olympics and hoping to combine well with them. She quoted as saying, “ We all have to put an extra effort to do something well for our country.”
On asking her about how Sachin Tendulkar and Union Sports Minister stood by her side and supported her after she refused to accept her Bronze medal in the 2014 Asian Games and was banned by the AIBA, she repled, “ I will always be grateful to Sachin and the Sports Minister for standing by me when I was in trouble. Without their support it would not have been possible for me to make a comeback.”
She quoted against rape and sexual harassment and pleaded for all the state associations to open a boxing academy so that girls learn to self defense.