Mary Kom (L) and Nikhat Zareen© X (Twitter)
The six-member Indian boxing contingent, which included two World Champions and two World Championship medallists, was expected to deliver but fell short of securing any medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Mary Kom, the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics, was not able to participate in this edition due the age limit rule in Boxing as no one above the age of 40 is allowed to participate. The 41-year old revealed she ‘could not digest,’ the poor performance at the event. “I felt bad from the inside, there was no progress. The Paris Olympics was disappointing, all the boxers were washed out. I could not digest their performance and just kept thinking ‘agar mai jaati to’ (If I was there instead). I can still fight better than these girls, performance wise, but could not participate due to the age limit.”
“I am still training, still concerned about my fitness. I am confident that still no one could touch me for one or two rounds. That is the spirit. The current boxers don’t have confidence and you could see it. I felt pain as I kept thinking why is there an age limit on only boxing?I still have that hunger, my dream and Olympic goal is still aching,” said Mary during a special address at the second edition of the Indian Gaming Convention (IGC).
India won their first ever medal in Boxing when Vijender Singh secured a historic bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics followed by Mary’s Bronze Medal win in the Women’s Flyweight at the 2012 London Olympics.
Lovlina Borgohain’s bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after the contingent did not secure a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is the country’s third and most recent award in the sport at the Games.
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