Sports Desk, Delhi Magazine: Renowned Olympic medalist Mary Kom has officially announced her retirement from boxing. The 41-year-old athlete disclosed her decision, citing age restrictions imposed by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which permits boxers to compete only until the age of 40 for both males and females.
Expressing her desire to continue competing at elite levels, Mary Kom stated at an event that she still possesses the hunger to fight and secure victories. Unfortunately, due to her age, she is no longer permitted to participate, leaving her with a sense of helplessness. She deemed the situation unfortunate but acknowledged that, fortunately, she has achieved everything in her illustrious career.
Mary Kom made history as the first Indian boxer to clinch an Olympic medal in women’s boxing, securing a bronze in the 51 kg category at the London Olympics in 2012. Prior to her Olympic triumph, she had already claimed the title of five-time world champion.
As a six-time world champion, Mary Kom’s most recent accolade was a silver medal at the 2021 Asian Championships. Throughout her remarkable career, she has amassed a total of 8 World Championship medals, 7 Asian Championship medals, 2 Asian Games medals, and a Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Participating in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Mary Kom faced a setback, losing to Ingrit Valencia in the pre-quarterfinals of the women’s flyweight category. Nevertheless, she holds an exceptional record, having secured the highest number of World Championship medals among all male and female boxers.
Last week she also shared some photos from CISF’s marching contingent.
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