Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, a six-time World Champion and 2012 Olympic medalist, has entirely rubbished her retirement rumours which left everyone stunned on January 25 morning. Earlier, reports about her retirement were doing rounds on internet that she has called it quits to amateur boxing following the International Boxing Association's (IBA) regulations, which permit boxers to participate in competitions only up until the age of 40.
“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,” Mary Kom told reporters.
“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. Please do correct this,” she added.
Mary has achieved a historic feat as the first female boxer to win six world titles in the history of boxing. As a five-time Asian champion, she also holds the distinction of being the first Indian female boxer to win gold at the 2014 Asian Games. Her journey to international acclaim began at 18 years old at the first world meet in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where her nearly perfect boxing technique led her to the 48kg category final. Though she didn't win the final, it was a clear indicator of her future success.
She made history as the first Indian to secure a gold medal at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships and continued to claim the championship titles in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Following her 2008 victory, Mary took a break to have twins.
Post her bronze medal win at the 2012 London Olympics, Mary took another break after the birth of her third child. She made a triumphant return at the 2018 World Championships in Delhi, clinching her sixth world title with a commanding 5-0 victory against Ukraine's Hanna Okhota. The following year, she further cemented her legacy by winning her eighth world medal, setting a record for the most world medals won by any boxer, male or female.
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