No 'laughing matter' as Mary Kom juggles ring and Parliament

Comparisons of her dual role with a certain Manny Pacquiao only evoke laughter from M C Mary Kom but the five-time world champion says being an active boxer and a Parliamentarian at the same time is no laughing matter as the twin jobs are exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure.

In an interview on Sunday, the London Olympics bronze-medallist, the first and only Indian woman boxer to have achieved the feat, spoke of her struggles to manage time during the just-concluded Budget Session of the Parliament, albeit jovially.

"I joined the national camp a fortnight ago and soon the Budget Session also started (from January 31). So I would go for training at 7 in the morning to the IG Stadium, rush back to change and head straight to the Parliament because I didn't want my attendance to suffer," Mary Kom says. "It was like racing against time and after hard training, you tend to feel very exhausted too. But then most of the times, the proceedings in the Parliament are so lively that there is no risk of being caught asleep. There is never a dull moment," she adds with a burst of laughter. "But on a more serious note, I wish the day could be of 48 hours."

The 34-year-old, who is five-time Asian champion besides having a coveted Asian Games gold medal as well, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha last year.

"Hey, I am managing a lot more being a woman. Training, Parliament and then doing my own chores at home and of course taking care of my children," she points

out.