My dream is to be better than Mary Kom: Devika Ghorpade

She is all of 13, but you can’t miss the hunger to win in the voice of this newly crowned sub-junior national champ, who has won gold (in the 46 kg category) in the first sub-junior girls’ national championship, organised by Boxing Federation of India, recently. Devika Ghorpade is the only girl from Maharashtra to win a gold in the contest, where Haryana girls won nine out of 14 gold medals.
A student of Mount Carmel School, Pune, she admits that Haryana girls do have an upper hand in every competition and adds, “They are stronger than most of us and also stick to healthy, nutritious diet. Every boxer from Haryana has two litre milk each day, so their fitness level is really good.”
The pugilist reveals that her coach Manoj Ingle insists that she follows strict disciple in her daily routine. “I have one litre milk and 10 eggs every day along with chicken, vegetables, fruits and carbohydrates; fast food and spicy dishes are a big no-no for me and my mother ensures that I follow the diet plan prepared by the coach. Taking a cue from Haryana girls, I’m now trying to increase my milk intake to two litre every day,” she says.
At an age when her friends love to watch movies and play, does she get ragged by her friends for being so serious about boxing? Devika says, “My friends do tease me, but I tell them that boxing is my life and I’m not ready to deviate from my chosen path. I also get to enjoy simple joys of life and love to shop for trendy clothes, but for now my eyes are fixed on junior world championship that will be organised next year.”
You are not surprised when she reveals that Mary Kom is her favourite boxer but you are really taken aback when she stoicaly adds in the same breath, “My dream is to be better than Mary Kom some day. It’s not an idle boast; I’m totally committed to my sport, and this my biggest goal in life.” Confessing that she is not really fond of studies, the youngster, however, adds, “I will definitely complete my graduation, but sports will always remain my career. I’m training for seven hours every day to improve my game because when I compete at international level, I can’t afford to be complacent.”
Maharashtra boxers need better diet and more tourneys, says coach
An Olympian and Arjuna Awardee, Devika’s coach, Manoj Pingle, shares that Maharashtra players can perform much better if they get better facilities. “Haryana players come from hinterland where there is no dearth of milk and milk products even in the low-income homes, whereas most of our players from weak economic background don’t get good diet at home. Once star players are identified, the authorities in the state must ensure that our players also get good diet. Our athletes also lack exposure. There are hardly any tourneys organised in the sub-junior category; whereas Haryana has several contests in this range. We also need expert coaches who can train the players in latest international techniques. We have to polish the players in 12-14 age group so that we can win more medals in Olympic Games.”