The illustrious MC Mary Kom hasn’t given up yet. She told the media that numerous newspapers and news websites had misquoted her. Mary Kom is a legendary figure in Indian boxing. Among her many accomplishments are her record-breaking six World Championship titles and her 2012 Olympic medal. Mary made a retirement suggestion at a school function in Manipur, but she also expressed her desire to continue competing at the highest level of women’s boxing for a few more years. However, the champion athlete said that the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) new age restriction prevents her from competing at the highest level.
“I have the hunger still but unfortunately because of the age limit it is over I cannot compete in any competition. I want to play more but I am being forced to quit (due to the age limit). I have to retire. I have achieved everything in my life,” Mary said during an event. Her statement hints at retirement but now Mary says that she is yet to announce it officially.
Mary Kom’s statement
“Dear Friends from media, I haven’t announced retirement yet and I have been misquoted. I will personally come in front of media whenever I want to announce it. I have gone through some media reports stating that I have announced retirement and this is not true. I was attending a school in event in Dibrugarh on 24 January 2024 wherein I was motivating children and I said “I still have hunger of achieving in sports but age limit in Olympics doesn’t allow me to participate though i can carry on with my sport. I am still focusing on my fitness and whenever I will announce retirement I will inform everyone,” said Mary Kom.
About Mary Kom and her achievements
Mary holds the distinction of being the first female boxer in boxing history to win six world titles. The five-time Asian champion made history in 2014 by becoming the first Indian female boxer to win a gold medal in the Asian Games. A noteworthy accomplishment in her career is the bronze medal she won in the London Olympics in 2012.
When Mary was just eighteen, she started her career in the boxing ring. Despite losing the 48kg final in the global meet held in Scranton, Russia, she made a stunning impression on boxing fans with her debut. At the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, she went on to become the first Indian woman to earn a gold medal. She was also the 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010 global champion. In terms of money, endorsements, and accolades, Kom became the first amateur in India to outperform several professional athletes in 2015. She is the first Padma Bhushan winner who is not a professional athlete.
Priyanka Chopra played her role in her 2014 biopic. The movie is directed by Omung Kumar and was released on 5 September 2014.
By: Gursharan Kaur