For father-to-be Virat Kohli, Mary Kom a perfect role model
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and his actress wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their first child in January.
Captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli, believes he need not look beyond boxing legend MC Mary Kom when it comes to taking inspiration on striking a balance between his sport and family life.
Virat Kohli and his wife, Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma, are expecting a baby in January next year.
And for the Indian cricket team captain - currently playing in the Indian Premier League with Royal Challengers Bangalore - Mary Kom is the perfect example to look up to.
“I can’t think of anyone better than you to talk about being a parent and have a busy career like you,” Virat Kohli said during an Instagram live session on Puma India’s channel.
“Being a mother, training, all those championships, how did you do it, how did you find the balance?” Kohli asked Mary Kom.
In a career spanning over two decades, Mary Kom has won a record eight World Championships medals, apart from a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics.
Though the Manipuri boxer gave birth to her twins in 2007, that barely stopped Mary Kom as she returned to the ring soon and went on to win her fifth world title in 2010.
The following years included an Olympic medal and another world title, apart from a number of medals at the continental stage.
Virat Kohli -- the leading run-scorer for RCB in IPL 2020 - believed that the boxing great’s journey was nothing short of ideal for any first-time parents looking for inspiration.
“You are such an inspiration not only for the women of the country but for everyone,” Kohli said. “What you have achieved in your sport, against all odds, against the shortcomings be it the facilities and all the other challenges that you must have faced is amazing.
“You keep going through and finding your path is something that is so inspirational for everyone,” said Kohli.
“We are on the journey to becoming parents ourselves, we take a lot of inspiration from what you have done, we are going to follow the same path,” added Virat Kohli.
Speaking about the upcoming athletes in the country, Mary Kom hoped the coming generation has a ‘never-say-die’ attitude in them as they set out to achieve their goals.
“You will always have naysayers, so many people are talking negatively, the good things we do only last for a few days... These naysayers distract and disturb me a lot sometimes,” she said.
"Many people are inspired by me as well as you (Kohli). There are so many legends in our country, some of whom have inspired me. They battled great odds before achieving success and they are my actual heroes.”