Dhanbad: Their bronze medals have brought pride to Dhanbad’s Nirsa, but for boxing twins Mandeep and Rajdeep Kaur, the bigger fight is for financial support to keep their Olympic dream alive.The sisters recently returned from the Kickboxing World Cup 2026 by WAKO in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent, where both battled through eight rounds before losing in the semi-finals — Mandeep to a Russian opponent and Rajdeep to a boxer from Uzbekistan. Their performances earned them bronze medals.Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee visited the twins at their home, felicitated them with bouquets and shawls, and assured them of all possible help in pursuing their sporting careers. He praised their dedication and said promising sportspersons needed both encouragement and financial backing.Mandeep said representing India at the Olympics remained her ultimate goal, but the cost of training, nutrition, equipment and travel had placed a heavy burden on their family. “People assure us of help, but the assistance rarely reaches us,” she said.The sisters said they were able to compete in Uzbekistan only after receiving support from Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).In July, the twins had met Dhanbad deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan and sought financial assistance to continue their training and prepare for upcoming competitions. Though the official had assured them of possible support, the sisters said they were still awaiting assistance from the district administration or state govt.They now hope sustained support from govt, public representatives and society will help them stay in the ring — and inspire more youngsters in the region to choose sports as a path to success.
