Mary Kom set to participate in 2021 Asian Boxing Championships along with fellow Olympics-bound boxers

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Image Courtesy: AFP

As the Indian boxing contingent gears up to make the country proud in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics Games, superstar pugilist Mary Kom will join hands with fellow Olympic-bound pugilists to take part in the 2021 Asian Boxing Championships.

The Indian boxing team, which is currently training under bio-bubble at the national camp at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, will be seen in the tournament which will be hosted from 21st to 31st May at the national capital.

A total of 10 women boxers from the country will be seen in the championship, selected through the selection trials hosted by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) last weekend in New Delhi in non-Olympic weight categories. The Tokyo-bound pugilists were granted automatic qualification to the Asian meet.

Alongside Mary Kom, the other Olympic hopefuls from the country such as Simranjit Kaur (60 kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69 kg) and Pooja Rani (75 kg) will be seen in the championship. Looking at the rest of the contingent, Sakshi Chaudhary (54kg) and Monica (48kg) will be teaming up with Jasmine (57 kg), Pwilao Basumatary (64kg), Sweety Bora (81 kg), and Anupama (plus 81kg) who have made the cut tot he Asian Boxing Championships as well.

Since boxing resumed following the hiatus of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian boxing team landed a remarkable performance at the 35th Boxam International tournament which was hosted in Castellon, Spain last month. The team clinched a total of 10 medals, including a gold for Manish Kaushik competing in the men’s 63 kg category. Mary Kom however settled for a bronze in the 51 kg women’s category after losing the semi final via a 1:4 split verdict.

Tokyo will be Mary Kom’s final Olympics appearance

The 2012 London bronze medallist, Mary Kom will be leading India’s boxing hopes in Tokyo in July this year. However, this edition of the grand quadrennial event will mark her final, as the -year-old Manipuri will not be eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games due to age criteria.

Tokyo will be my last Olympics. Age matters here. I am 38 now, going on 39. Four (three) more years is a long time,” Mary told the Olympic Channel last month, “pretty sure, I won’t be allowed to even if I am willing to carry on till Paris 2024.”

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