Boxing
Six-time amateur boxing world champion and London 2012 Olympics bronze medallist Mary Kom has reiterated her ambitions to turn to professional boxing.
No longer eligible for the Olympics after surpassing the age limit two years ago, India's greatest amateur boxer isn't ready to hang up her gloves just yet.
“It saddens me that my age prevents me from representing India again but to fulfil my hunger to compete, I plan to turn pro very soon,” Mary Kom told ANI on the sidelines at the Army Sports Conclave in New Delhi.
Last year, Mary Kom had expressed her desire to compete in pro boxing while recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury ahead of the Asian Games.
The age span for boxers to compete at the Olympics is from 19 to 40. Mary Kom competed at the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the women’s flyweight (48kg-51kg) category. At London 2012, she became the first Indian female boxer to win an Olympic medal.
Mary Kom’s amateur boxing career is decorated with numerous accolades and achievements. She has won the gold at the World Championships a record six times and has returned with a medal in each of her eight appearances. She has also won multiple Asian Championships as well as gold medals at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games.
“I have accomplished a lot in my amateur career but I still have the desire to play. My hunger’s still there and I want to compete in professional boxing for a year or two while staying connected to the sport,” Mary Kom added.
Indian boxing star Vijender Singh, who won the bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships, was the first Indian boxer to turn pro in 2015. Since then Vikas Krishan, Neeraj Goyat and two-time Olympian Akhil Kumar have followed suit.
Besides personal ambitions, Mary Kom also expressed her views on India’s performance in boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the nation fielded six boxers and returned empty handed.
“I feel very bad because we could not win any medals (in Paris),” she said. “I urge the boxers to work harder and the federation should assess the shortcomings and start addressing them immediately.”
Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain fell just short of a historic second Olympic medal at Paris 2024, losing the quarter-finals to the People’s Republic of China’s Li Qian. Nishant Dev, who competed in the men’s 71kg category, was the other Indian boxer to reach the quarter-finals.
Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen’s campaign ended at the hands of the eventual Paris 2024 gold medallist Wu Yu of China in the round of 16.