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‘Victim’ of sports politics makes it big

Staff Reporter

Sujata Rani

BERHAMPUR: Sujata Rani, a woman boxer, who has been a victim of sports politics since last four years won a silver medal in the Federation Cup national boxing championship held in Chennai this month. But it was a gain for Assam and loss of a sporting talent for Orissa.

With her powerful punch of endurance she exposed the dark side of selection procedure of Orissa Boxing Association. She was not selected by the State boxing association for the Orissa team for the Federation Cup for mysterious reasons. But the boxing coaches and managers from Assam, who were keeping a track of this talent included her in their team. Sujata proved herself winning a silver medal in the fly weight category. Now she has offers from other states to settle down to enrich boxing there.

Sujata is a renowned woman boxer of the State having a track record of winning national, east zone and State-level medals. According to her coach Dushmant Kumar Padhi, for mysterious reasons the State boxing association had not been selecting her for major tournaments since past few years although she was proving herself to be the best in her weight category. She was not included in the Orissa team that took part in the national amateur boxing championship held in Vizag in December last year.

Kaviraj Gouda, the general secretary of Ganjam district amateur boxing association, said continuous exclusion of Sujata raises suspicion.

As the only boxer in the list, she was selected for the prestigious Biju Patnaik sport awards last year.

She won gold medal in State boxing championship and adjudged best women boxer in the past.

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