Olympic medalist boxer MC Mary Kom has decided not to play in this year’s World Championships and Asian Games. Six-time world champion Mary Kom has decided to pull out of these two tournaments to give a chance to the youngsters. Mary Kom now wants to focus on her preparations for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship will be played in Istanbul, Turkey from May 6 to 21. The 2022 Commonwealth Games will start from 28 July and the 2022 Asian Games from 10 September.
In a message to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), Mary Kom said, “I would not like to participate in these tournaments to give the younger generation a chance to make a name for themselves on the international stage and gain ‘exposure’ and experience in bigger tournaments.” . I would like to focus my attention only on the preparations for the Commonwealth Games. The selection trials for all the 12 categories for the World Championship will begin on Monday and end on Wednesday. The trials also include Asian Games weight classes which are similar to the IBA.
@MangteC will skip World championships and Asian games to give opportunities to the young pugilists and focus on preparations for #CommonWealthGames 2022. #PunchMeinHaiDum #boxing pic.twitter.com/EbXa9bEb2i
— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) March 6, 2022
BFI President Ajay Singh said, “Mary Kom has been the head of Indian boxing for the last two decades and has inspired countless boxers and sportspersons across the globe. We fully respect his decision and giving opportunities to other boxers is a testament to his champion personality. The men’s selection trials for the Asian Games will be held in May while the Commonwealth Games trials for men and women will be held in June.