The one lasting image of Laishram Sarita Devi is her walking away from the Asian Games Medal Ceremony in Incheon, South Korea. She had tears in her eyes as she handed over her boxing bronze medal to the Korean boxer. It was her way to protest against the decision of the judges which deprived her of the silver medal. In that moment Sarita felt it was all over for her, she wanted to give up boxing and go back to Manipur to her 2-year-old son.
Sarita was banned for a year from competitive boxing. It had taken a lot to come to this stage – 15 years of blood and sweat, the cries of her six-month-old son, who she left behind when she went to train. She was not ready to give up. Sarita trained harder & rose like a phoenix.
Post the ban she won her first gold medal at the South Asian Games in 2016. Her next target is the Rio Olympics.
Sarita Devi is a boxer, mother and a survivor. No one can knock out her shatterproof spirit.
Moto salutes the Shatterproof spirit of these women.
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