Issued quick passport, boxer delivers on Swaraj's medal demand

New Delhi: No less than the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had demanded a medal from her and Indian junior boxer Jhalak Tomar delivered on it, claiming a silver at the Valeria Demyanova Memorial International Tournament in Ukraine.

The 15-year-old, who competes in the 54kg category, was among the seven medallists, four of them gold, at the tournament which concluded in the Ukrainian city of Nadvirna today. Indian boxers claimed four gold, three silver and a bronze medal in all.

What made Tomar’s achievement stand out was the circumstances leading up to her participation in the tournament. Tomar’s passport had not come through at the time of her selection for the tournament and a picture of her application seeking assistance from the Regional Passport Office to expedite the process had been posted by a Twitter user.

Swaraj, while intervening in the matter, had asked Tomar, a bronze-winner from the junior national championships, to bring back a medal for the country. And the youngster did just that at the tournament. Swaraj congratulated Jhalak on her winning the medal. “Well done Jhalak. Congratulations to all the winners. You have made India proud,” the minister wrote on her Twitter handle.

Arundhati Choudhary (60kg), Mitika Gunele (66kg), Raj Sahiba (70kg) and Komal (80kg) picked up gold medals at the event. The other silver-medallists were Sanjeeta (48kg) and Lipakshi (+81kg). The lone bronze-medallist for India at the event was Mounika Baggu (63kg).