Today at the Olympics for India undoubtedly belongs to the mother of two, 5 times world champion, the pocket dynamo, Mery Kom. Another magnificent stadium, ExCel, and another fine performance from an Indian lady makes for another day of sumptuous Olympics fare.
Women's boxing is happening for the first time ever in the Olympics. Mery's bout against the accomplished Pole, also a world champion of the past and the current world no 5, was the third fight on the women's time table. It was the first competitive match in Olympics history though. Once again, after the Saina Nehwal quarter final, a sprinkling of Indians in the stadium created a noise disproportionate to their numbers. We have a ring side seat, ideal for jumping around, raising our flags and screaming "India, India" and "Mery Kom, Mery Kom". Enough to get the TV camera on us!
 |
| The rocky type music is on full blast as Mery Kom enters the arena. |
Magnificent Mery walks in to the arena in her trade mark understated manner, bows her head in prayer and is ready to box. None of the jumping around on toes, punching the air in anticipation of the real thing and "if looks could kill" looks. Mery Kom prepares to box as though she was setting off from home for a pilgrimage. A simple lady from a humble background in an aggressive sport!
The fight itself is packed with action and incident. Once both boxers wrestle each other to the ground. On another occasion Mery's head guard comes loose and the boxing stops to have that mended. Mery also losses balance twice and is on the floor. The Indian moves into the ascendency after an even first round and begins the last one with a bulging 5 point lead.
 | ||||
| Mery Kom, in blue, takes the fight to the Pole right from the outset. |
 |
| Soon she's making headway with clever jabs, hooks and upper cuts. |
The result of the bout is announced amidst a cacophony of noise in the stadium. The final score is 19-14 in favour of the blue corner. Mery Kom has delivered against a tricky opponent. One more victory and she'll be guaranteed an Olympic medal.
 | |
| The winner is declared. Mery Kom exults. The vanquished Pole hangs her head in dejection. |
 |
| The lady in blue, Mery Kom, wins the day and the evidence is on the scoreboard. |
These Games have lived up to the friendly games tag, at least for me. I again make friends. This time it is Brendon and Julie. We exchange telephone numbers and agree to meet for a drink the next evening at the same venue (they are again coming for the boxing and I'll be back at ExCel for the men's team table tennis semi finals). Julie, the Irish lady, I discover is a big India fan and takes photographs with my flag. She's immediately mentions the 1970s Hindi movie of the same name, a movie in which the keralite, Lakshmi, acts in and as Julie.