Four jewels of Northeast
Hima Das, Mary Com, Mira Bai Chanu and Dipa Karmakar posing for a joint photograph during CII Special Session in Guwahati on Thursday. Image - Twitter

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) during its Special Session in Guwahati on Friday honoured four ‘jewels of Northeast’ – Hima Das, Mary Com, Mirabai Chanu and Dipa Karmakar – who have brought laurels to the region and the country by creating various records in the sports world.

While sprinter Hima Das from Assam, who won three medals, including a gold at the last Asian Games and a historic gold medal at the U-20 World Championship in Finland, was among the 20 recipients of the prestigious Arjuna award this year.

Box MC Mary Kom, who is from Manipur, is a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. She is recipient of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Arjuna Award for Boxing and Khel Ratna Award.

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu from Manipur is India’s only current world champion who was recently conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

On the other hand, gymnast Dipa Karmakar from Tripura, represented India at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, becoming the first Indian female gymnast ever to compete in the Olympics. She is recipient of Arjuna Khel Ratna Award.

Mary Com through her Twitter handle on Thursday thanked CII for the “Recognition” and the “Award”.

Hima Das on her Twitter handle stated: “Attended CII Sports honours with Mangte C (Mary Kom) didi, Dipa Karmakar, Mirabai Chanu in Guwahati.”

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who met the four ‘wonders’ of Northeast – Hima Das, Mary Com, Mirabai Chanu and Dipa Karmakar – during the CII Special Session in the city, also uploaded a joint photograph with the four players on his Twitter handle on Thursday.

Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who was also present in the CII Special Session lauding Hima Das stated on his Twitter handle on Thursday: “You (Hima Das) spoke less but conveyed so much. That your mind was never on ‘medal’ but only on ‘work’. Your hard work has borne result – you won medal for us.”