“Despite having more sporting facilities and opportunities than when I began boxing, the present generation is not eager enough,” says Mary Kom
Olympic bronze medalist Mary Kom is considering a move to professional boxing in the future years. Due to age constraints, the seasoned pugilist admitted that she is no longer qualified to compete in amateur boxing.
“But I will still try to do something relating to boxing. May go pro but don’t know yet what I will do. I still have the spirit to play one to two years or even four years,” she explained.
“I could not compete this year due to age bar, I missed a lot of competitions. I had a major injury, an ACL and after recovery I missed a lot of competitions like the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships.”
Mary Kom has been out of competition since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the Commonwealth Games selection trial in 2022, despite having won six world championships.
According to the regulations, a boxer over the age of 40 cannot compete in the amateur division, and Mary Kom is now 41.
Six-time world champion boxer MC Mary Kom believes the next generation of athletes are not as hungry as she is to seek greatness and are content with a single major accomplishment.
“I will fight, that fighting spirit only Mary Kom has… I have that something unique from other sports stars,” Mary Kom, who has not ruled out turning pro in the coming years, said during a press conference on Saturday.
“I am 41 years, I cannot fight any international competition from this year because there is that age limit. But I want to continue for one, two or three years,” she explained.
“I am super fit, I want to achieve more and more, that hunger I have. This young generation, they one champion and finished, they are satisfied,settle down. This is the difference,” she said.
“If, like me, they have that spirit and that hunger, we will have so many medals in our country,” Mary Kom stated.
“My hard work has paid off and now there are so many Mary Koms coming up. I feel so proud to be a girl, a mother, an Indian… so many are following my footsteps,” she said.
“Training is tough. Inner hunger and drive are most important. Now, facilities are better. In 2001 when I started my career, no one knew women in boxing,” she said.
“In football, cricket and basketball still have a chance… in individual sport, you lose and finish in one second. It comes from inside, chahe kuch bhi ho jaye medal lena hai. If you’re not willing, nothing can happen,” she concluded.
In addition, India returned from the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year with the richest-ever collection of 107 medals, with several competitors collecting multiple medals.
