MC Mary Kom has been one of the finest boxers that India has ever produced. She won the bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics. The six-time world champion has offered India some of the greatest moments in world boxing. She currently has retired. 10 elite sportspersons, including her, elected themselves to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes’ Commission in November 2022.
Mary is also the chairperson of IOA’s Athletes’ Commission. However, amidst the turmoil going on with a section of the office-bearers questioning the governance of President P T Usha. She has denied all allegations against her. The Manipuri boxer has stopped giving suggestions to the National Olympic Committee. As it does not pay attention to them. Indian boxers failed to earn a single medal in the Paris Olympics 2024. Mary Kom was disappointed at that outcome.
Mary has been the trendsetter in women’s boxing in the country. She faced lots of difficulties before eventually succeeding in the sports. It has been a concerning moment for her. The 41-year-old stated that nobody in the Boxing Federation of India sought her help ahead of the Olympics. This negligence has been the cause of the failure of India in different sports and major events.
Mary Kom blames the corrupted system
Is the sports ministry and the associations to be blamed for the poor performance of the athletes? Somewhat yes, before any major events, they do not even think of the athletes how they are if they are injured, and whether they will be able to handle the pressure. They do it in the 11th hour of the big events and expect the athletes to perform and win medals. There are years of hard work and development for an athlete to perform at big stages.
Mary Kom out of frustration said on the sidelines of the Indian Gaming Convention, “I can’t pinpoint what went wrong because they did not invite me at all. They could have used my experience. I can tell the boxers their weak and strong points. The coaching system is outdated. I have been trained by experienced coaches who are not achievers. I follow all their advice what they say but my knowledge is different to other boxers.”
