Ahead of Asian boxing meet, Mary Kom to spar with male boxers in Pune camp

Olympic bronze medallist MC Mary Kom will spar with male boxers at the national boxing camp in Pune due to limited options amid the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in India. She is training for the Asian championships later in May.

India is currently reeling under the ongoing COVID crisis with over 300,000 cases recorded daily since April 20.

The boxing camp, which originally began at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi last month, had to be shifted after 21 positive COVID cases were reported. Delhi is a COVID hotspot in India.

The Indian boxing legend, who has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, moved to the Army Sports Institute in Pune only last week and had her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine a few days ago. She had been training at home.

However, due to strict COVID protocols at the camp, Mary Kom’s sparring options have been limited.

According to the IANS news agency, two Army male boxers have been selected for sparring with the six-time world champion. Both boxers have tested negative for COVID and the duo will only train with Mary Kom.

Mary Kom's personal coach Chhote Lal Yadav, who had contracted COVID-19 earlier this month, is on a 15-day quarantine in New Delhi since May 6. Yadav is expected to join the Pune camp next week, provided he tests negative and complies with the protocols at Army institute.

Apart from Mary Kom (51kg), Olympic-bound boxers Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) are also at the Pune camp. Pooja Rani (75kg) is currency stationed at Bellary's Inspire Institute of Sports.

Barring Simranjit, who tested positive for COVID late in April, the remaining three Tokyo-bound women boxers are set to compete in the Asian boxing championships, which will start in Dubai on May 21. 

The Asian championships were originally scheduled in Delhi but had to be moved to the UAE because of the pandemic.