Arunachal has improved a lot in boxing: Tadang Minu

ITANAGAR: Dr Tadang Minu has played a major role in uplifting the boxing scene in Arunachal Pradesh. As the state is hosting the first-ever national boxing championship in the form of the 5th National Junior Boxing Championship here, Minu is a proud lady today.

“It is a great moment for us to host the national event. Arunachal has improved a lot in boxing today,” Minu, the president of the Arunachal Amateur Boxing Association (AABA), said.

Minu, a boxer of national repute and a contemporary of Mary Kom, had her last bout with the Magnificent Mary way back in 2004. Now a coach and an educator, in 2021 Minu became the second Indian and the first Indian woman to be included in the coaches committee of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).

Compared to the past, Minu is hopeful for the Arunachal boxers now.

“Now they are much more equipped to fight and win bouts and medals at the national and international levels. But we need to improve further,” she added.

Regarding her experience as a member of the coaches committee in the AIBA, she said, “It has been a great experience to be a part of the team. We are learning things and trying to upgrade the coaching status throughout India.”

Currently, she is the head of the department of Physical Education at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) here and is the chairperson of the Boxing Federation of India’s Women’s Commission.

Recently, she also qualified as an international technical official during the World Championship in New Delhi.

Life has not been easy for Minu. And being a woman, things become even more difficult. But she remained focused on her goals.

“Yes, definitely, there will be hurdles in the path. But I was focused on what I wanted to do. If your mind and concept are clear, nothing can hold you back. That’s how I achieved my goals,” she added.

And her mantra in life has been very simple. “I have struggled a lot in the journey so far. I would say... just try to be happy and do good things. Try to help others, and that will make you happy,” she reckoned.

“Apart from that, boxing is in my blood. Whatever I am today or will be tomorrow, it will be because of boxing,” she said.

Minu also suggests that more youngsters, especially women, should come out for sports.

After her boxing and studies in various places in the country, Minu returned to Arunachal in 2016 and started training young boxers.

Before that, she went to the Sports Authority of India’s NIS-Eastern Centre in Kolkata for a diploma in boxing coaching and pursued her Bachelor’s in Physical Education and a Master’s degree from Amritsar’s Guru Nanak Dev University in Punjab.

Later, she became the first woman from Arunachal to be awarded a PhD in Physical Education. She received this honour from Visva Bharati Santiniketan, West Bengal, in 2017.

It may be mentioned here that as many as eight out of nine home boxers showcased their prowess on Tuesday to make their way into the knockout stages of the Boxing championships, thus raising hopes for the northeastern state, which is hosting a national level tournament for the first time ever.

Techi Jacky (46 kg), Tarok Gongo (48 kg), Loma Riang (50kg), Gayki Rie (52 Kg), Menthok Hodong (54 kg), Tagio Liyak (57 kg), Tarh Lohia (60 kg) and Tangu Ngomle (63 kg) registered contrasting victories in their respective pre-quarterfinal bouts of their respective weight classes to advance to the last 16 stages of the tournament.

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