Mary Kom: Can't see any Indian woman boxer shining anytime soon
Five-time World Champion Mary Kom has said that she does not think any Indian boxer will shine at the international level soon. Blaming it on the lack of competition in India, Mary Kom said that better training for young and upcoming boxers was required to keep pace with the international levels.
Mary Kom said, “There is not much competition in India. The nationals are not organised properly. For the last two to three years, there have been no competitions at the national level. I can't see any woman boxer from India shining at the international level anytime soon,” reported IANS.
"The level of women's boxing has really improved over the years and we need better training for the young, upcoming boxers," she added.
The 2012 Olympic bronze-medalist had lost in the second round of the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan in May, which was a severe blow to her chances of qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympics. But the ad-hoc committee appointed by the International Boxing Federation(AIBA) has appealed for a wild card entry for the Manipuri boxer. ‘Magnificent Mary’ has said that she has high chances of winning a medal at Rio if she is allowed to participate.
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“I was extremely disappointed after losing at the World Championships. The competition is getting tougher day by day. I am trying my best from my side. Unfortunately, I could not qualify till now. The entire country is supporting me and I am confident their prayers will bear fruit.
"The ad-hoc committee has sent the application, let us see what comes out of it. I am very hopeful," Mary said.
"If I do get to Olympics, I have high chances of getting a medal. I have trained really hard and I am in good shape right now. I was unlucky at the World Championships. I should have won that bout, but these things happen in sport," she was quoted as saying by IANS.
AIBA had banned the national federation over allegations of elections being rigged in 2012, and ever since, the boxers have suffered the most. The suspended bodies, Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) and Boxing India (BI), have been fighting with each other, and this led to the AIBA appointing an ad-hoc panel to run the show. But no national championships have been held since 2012, and the schedule for training camps and tournaments for elite boxers has also become haphazard. The effects of this could be clearly seen, with only one boxer- Shiva Thapa- qualifying for the Olympics so far.
Though Mary Kom refused to comment on whether these issues have hampered the preparations of Indian boxers, she was confident that more Indians would qualify. "Everyone is doing their best. The men boxers are also giving their best. Ideally, I think at least another one or two among the men should qualify," she told IANS.
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