Controversy erupts after Mary Kom’s husband questions boxer’s statue
Veteran boxer MC Mary Kom’s husband Onler Karong has courted controversy as he expressed dissatisfaction over the recent installation of a statue of his wife at a park here. Statues of 19 Olympians from the state, including Mary Kom, were installed at the Manipur Olympic Park here recently. Onler claimed in an interview to a local newspaper that the statue installed in the park does not look like six-time women’s boxing world champion and 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Mary Kom.
Onler or Mary Kom could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Mary Kom’s brother Jimmy Kom, however, told PTI that the Chief Minister’s Office has assured him that the statue will be replaced before the park is inaugurated. The date for the opening of the park has not yet been decided. When contacted, the Chief Minister’s Office told PTI that they would not speak on the issue. Jimmy said, “It’s his (Onler) personal view.”
Jimmy said that he had returned from his first tour and only on Wednesday he came to know about these things. He said, “There are concerns that Onler’s statement could be misinterpreted as the statues have been put up to honor sportspersons from our state.” Two days before the matter came to light, Chief Minister Ann Biren Singh said on his official Facebook page that the park was “all set to open”.Everyone can now see the statues of our great Olympians who are the pride of our nation.
In a separate statement, he said, “The Manipur Olympian Park was built in honor of our Olympians from Manipur who have brought glory to the country. It will not only become a major tourist attraction but also inspire the youth to achieve greater heights in life.
