Mary Kom to skip World Championships, Asian Games; to focus on Commonwealth Games

New Delhi, March 6 (IANS): Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom has decided against participating in the trials for the upcoming IBA Elite Women’s World Boxing Championships and the 2022 Asian Games, scheduled to start on Monday.

However, the senior boxer added on Sunday that she will now focus on her preparations for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

In a communication to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), the London Olympics bronze medallist said, “I would like to withdraw to give opportunity to the younger generation to make a name for themselves on the international stage and get exposure and experience of major tournaments. I would like to focus on the preparation for the Commonwealth Games only.”

The selection trials for all 12 categories of the Women’s World Championships will start from Monday and will end on Wednesday (March 9). The trials will also include the Asian Games weights divisions, which are the same as IBA.

However, for the remaining two Asian Games weight categories, 51kg and 69kg, trials will be conducted separately on March 11 and 14, thereby giving more time to boxers of closest weight categories to also take a shot at the trials for the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

“Mary Kom has been the torchbearer for Indian boxing since the last two decades and has inspired countless boxers and sportspersons across the world. We completely respect her decision and it is a testimony of her champion character to make way for the other boxers.

“We are delighted that we have such a good bench strength and are looking forward to the younger generation to make the nation proud and I hope and wish Mary all the best with her preparations for the CWG,” said Ajay Singh, president of Boxing Federation of India.

National campers, including the participants of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, who didn’t compete in the national championships, will be eligible for the selection trials. The selection committee, comprising BFI president or his nominee alongside an expert panel of reputed veteran boxers, will ensure a smooth conduct of the trials as all the bouts will be video recorded.

The Asian Games selection trials for men will be held in May, while, for the Commonwealth Games, trials for both men and women will be conducted in June.

The IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships is scheduled from May 6 to 21 in Istanbul, Turkey while the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2022 Asian Games will begin on July 28 and September 10, respectively.