AT Photo
Guwahati, Feb 10: The young boxers at Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation (MKBRF), associated with Dream Sports’ Foundation’s ‘Dream Jab’ Programme, have been a true source of inspiration for emerging sporting athletes, especially from Northeast India. Facing all odds amid the toughest times Manipur has seen, four young fighters have won medals in various programmes in the last few weeks.
Since the inception of the Dream Jab programme in 2021, the DSF has been aiding boxers from the Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation (MKRBF) in their endeavours to advance their growth in sports, every step of the way. Even during the tough times, the pugilists were able to continue their training at the academy for a large part of last year and earned opportunities to compete across multiple tournaments across India.
With the help of ample support, training equipment, educated medical staff, and proper coaching, these young athletes have risen above these hardships to prove their worth. They have gone on to win multiple medals at the national and international levels.
Ayushi Dubey, Chinglemba Moirangthem, Elangbam Thoithoi, Punshiba Moiranthem and Nimsolan Kapai have been among those who earned laurels recently. Chinglemba Moirangthem, the son of a truck driver and tea seller, has been a part of the Dream Jab Programme since May 2023. He won gold in the 63 kg category at the Multi-Nation Boxing Camp cum Competition in China and then went on to win a bronze medal at the Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai last month.
Meanwhile, Nimsolan Kapai, the daughter of a construction worker and a homemaker, is a bronze medallist in the 63kg category of the 67th National School Games Delhi, which was held from January 3 to 8, 2024.
Her compatriot Ayushi Dubey, whose father is a businessman and mother is a homemaker, won the bronze medal in the inter-school national tournament, which was hosted from November 1 to 5. She is just 13-years-old and joined the Dream Jab programme along with Nimsolan in 2022. At the same time, Punshiba Moiranthem won a gold medal at the 5th Junior Boys National Boxing Championship, which was held in Itanagar in July 2023 and subsequently, he also participated in the ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 21–November 4, in the 60kg category. He has been a part of the Dream Jab programme since May 2023.
His father is a rifleman (Village Defence Force) in the Manipur Police, while her mother is a homemaker.
Elangbam Thoithoi, who competed in the 51kg category, earned a bronze medal at the National Invitation 2024 Daman & Diu, hosted from January 6–11. She has been in the Dream Jab programme since May 2023 while also helping her family earn a living from their small fish farm.
Speaking about these budding boxers from the MKRBF, supported by the Dream Jab programme, 2012 Olympic medallist MC Mary Kom said: “I am very proud to see these young and talented boxers emerging out of the Dream Jab programme at the Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation (MKRBF). Our aim is to mould more and more talent each year so that they can one day compete on the biggest stage.”
“There has never been a dearth of talent in Manipur, but because of the support from Dream Sports Foundation’s, we are able to channel the resources in the correct fashion and provide a platform for these athletes to be recognised.”
