Contrary to reports suggesting Indian boxing legend Mary Kom's retirement from the sport, the 41-year-old five times World Champion has clarified that she has not stepped away from boxing. Setting the record straight and putting an end to all false speculations, Mary Kom emphasized that she was misquoted, firmly denying any claims of hanging up her boots.
"I haven’t announced retirement yet and I have been misquoted. I will personally come in front of the media whenever I want to announce it. I have gone through some media reports stating that I have announced retirement and this is not true," Mary Kom said as quoted by ANI.
Some media reports claimed that the Indian pugilist announced her retirement from boxing at an event in Dibrugarh. Contrary to those reports, the star Indian athlete has now clarified that her words were misinterpreted, and she has not declared her retirement from boxing.
"I was attending a school event in Dibrugarh on 24 January 2024 wherein I was motivating children and I said “I still have hunger of achieving in sports but the age limit in Olympics doesn’t allow me to participate though I can carry on with my sport. I am still focusing on my fitness and whenever I will announce retirement I will inform everyone," Mary Kom added.
Certain media reports indicated that Mary Kom decided to end her inspiring career due to International Boxing Association (IBA) regulations, which specify that boxers, regardless of gender, are allowed to compete at the highest level only until the age of 40.