Mary Kom considers turning pro; ‘Can fight for another three-four years,’ says boxing great
Pushing 41, the six-time world champion is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery she underwent last August.
Boxing
MC Mary Kom insists she has at least three to four years of boxing left in her and is even mulling going pro. To be 41 later this year, the London Olympics 2012 bronze medallist is India’s most decorated boxer in the amateur circuit and is a six-time world champion.
Mary Kom is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery. She suffered the injury after twisting her left knee during the Commonwealth Games selection trials last year. She underwent a reconstructive surgery to repair the ACL tear last August and hasn’t competed or trained since.
"The Injury is much better now. I can walk, run, though not on a hard surface. I just started running on a treadmill," Mary Kom said while attending an award ceremony in Kolkata recently.
"I'm pushing myself. After one month, I'll be fully fit and recovered. I'll be ready to fight in the ring in two months," she added.
Mary Kom, however, will be in a race against time to make the Indian team for the upcoming Asian Games 2023, scheduled in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
The Asian Games is also a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics and if Mary Kom eventually makes it to Hangzhou and wins there, she will earn a quota for the upcoming Summer Games. However, she will not be eligible to participate in next year’s Summer Games due to her age.
Mary Kom will turn 41 this November and the age-limit for boxers at the Olympics is 40, as per current rules. However, the Manipuri pugilist wants to keep on trading punches in the ring.
"This year I've a chance to compete in any competition. Next year, I'm not eligible. I'm not eligible to fight in the Olympics because of the age limit. I'm very sorry for that.
“But I want to continue, keep fighting for another three-four years. I still have that confidence and willpower. I'm thinking I can also become a pro. I've that confidence. Nobody can stop me from fighting."
Indian boxing star Vijender Singh, who won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships, was the first Indian boxer to turn pro in 2015. Since then Vikas Krishan Yadav and Neeraj Goyat have also turned pro.