After years of speculation over her retirement, six-time world champion MC Mary Kom said she plans to cling to her gloves after winning the elusive gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday. The 36-yr-antique has been an inspiring force in Indian boxing. In her 18-year-, illustrious career, she has won six World Championships, an Olympic bronze medal, and five Asian Championships. Besides being an active and pinnacle-level boxer, she is also a sitting Rajya Sabha MP. “After 2020, I need to retire. So, my major undertaking is to get gold for India. I need to win ( gold),” Mary Kom said on the sidelines of an event organized using Colgate.
Mary Kom won the bronze medal in the flyweight class at the 2012 London Olympics. She now targets to trade the color of her award to gold. “I usually try my best to offer a medal to you. S. And, if possible, a gold. I might start practicing for the Olympic qualifiers and the World Championship. I want to win a gold medal this time.” The boxing fraternity faces tumultuous conditions in the run-up to the Olympics in the subsequent 12 months. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stripped the International Boxing Association (AIBA) of web hosting activities on the Tokyo Olympics.
The IOC has introduced that it will put together a new calendar for Olympic qualifiers between January and May of the subsequent year and can have a re-take look at the burden classes. Indian pugilists are caught in limbo; however, Mary Kom feels it’s more useful for her if the qualifiers are held a subsequent year. “It is, without a doubt, better for me. I will get more time to put it together,” she stated.
“We are educated regularly for all competitions, not just the Olympics. I learned about the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses in the World Championship. Accordingly, I can put it together. I may also get more time to prepare if the qualifiers are held later.” After failing to qualify for the Rio Games, Mary Kom changed her weight class to 48kg in December 2016, but now the pugilist from Manipur is again to compete in the 51kg. Asked about the transition, Mary Kom said: “51kg class isn’t always new for me. I was presented in this class 4-five to years ago. It turned into not continuous because I stored changing my weight.