Mary Kom named Global Indian Icon at UK-India Awards; 'means a lot' says boxing legend
At a lavish ceremony on Thursday night, boxing champion Mary Kom spoke of her 20-year journey of perseverance and dedicating her life to boxing as she got the award from Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK.
FollowMary Kom, a sporting legend and India's first female boxer to win an Olympic medal, received the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual UK-India Awards ceremony in Windsor, southeast England. At a lavish ceremony on Thursday night, the 40-year-old former Rajya Sabha member spoke of her 20-year journey of perseverance and dedicating her life to boxing as she got the award from Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK.
"I have been fighting for 20 years, putting in so much effort, hard work in my life, in boxing, it means a lot... making sacrifice for my country, for my family. I really thank from the bottom of my heart for this recognition," she said.
'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' director Shekhar Kapur got a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to cinema in both countries at the awards, which were held by India Global Forum (IGF) as part of UK-India Week.
The Indian High Commission's cultural arm, the Nehru Centre in London, received the UK-India Award for Significant Contribution to UK-India Relations.
"This is one of the most exciting times to be an Indian in the last many centuries, and India's growing economy has made many others, including many Westerners, think differently about India. But India's culture will actually make many others, including many Westerners, think differently period. And it's our privilege at the Nehru Centre to contribute to the growth and to the popularisation of Indian culture in the West," said author Amish Tripathi, Director of the Nehru Centre.
The awards, currently in their fifth year, honour outstanding leadership in business, professional services, government, culture, and social impact, showcasing their noteworthy accomplishments in fostering cross-border ties.
"These awards are not just about recognising achievements of some outstanding contributors to the UK-India corridor, but also about celebrating the power of collaboration and the limitless potential that lies within our partnership," said IGF founder and chairman Manoj Ladwa.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) UK received the UK-India Award for Business Promotion Organisation of the Year, which was given across multiple categories.
Other honours were Consulting Firm of the Year for SannamS4, Legal Practise of the Year for Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, and Financial Services Organisation of the Year for ICICI Bank UK Plc. Market Entrant of the Year went to startup investing platform CrowdInvest. Action Aid UK won the award for the social impact project of the year, while Mphasis was awarded the technology company of the year.
The awards ceremony was the penultimate activity of the six-day UK-India Week, which also featured a special reception hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street during which he committed to pursuing a "truly ambitious" free trade agreement (FTA) with India. The awards were chosen from a shortlist by a jury of industry experts.
"It's not just UK-India Week, but a whole Indian summer over the next few weeks the eyes of the world will be on India. There's the G20 in New Delhi, I can't wait to be there," he said, indicating plans for a visit for the world leader's summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September.
