Six-time world champion and ace boxer, Mary Kom has sealed her Olympic qualifiers berth after defeating Nikhat Zareen 9-1 in a keenly awaited trial bout for the next year’s Olympic qualifiers in China. This bout had come into the spotlight and was being keenly awaited given the tensions between Mary Kom and Nikhat Zareen that preceded the bout.
It is pertinent to mention here that the controversy had first erupted when Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh, had said that Mary Kom’s bronze at the world championships was good enough for an exemption from the trials in Olympic qualifiers, though the 36-year old legendary boxer, Mary Kom never demanded any exemption for herself. Following this, Nikhat Zareen had demanded a trial bout protesting for a fair chance. She even wrote to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju with the specific demand of a trial.
Mary Kom remained combative after prevailing over Zareen, and refused to shake hands with the younger opponent, saying, “she should first respect others.” The senior pro also rebuffed an attempted hug by Nikhat Zareen.
Referring to Zareen’s letter, Mary Kom said, “I don’t like this, you drag my name into an unnecessary controversy and then you try to posture. Yes, I didn’t hug her, what’s the big deal? I did not start this, I never said I will not fight you in a trial then why did you drag my name,” referring to Zareen’s letter to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju. She also said, “I am also a human being, I also get irritated. Can’t I get angry when my credentials are questioned like this? And this wasn’t the first time. It has happened so many times with me despite the fact that no other Indian boxer has achieved what I have achieved,” and referred to past controversies wherein she has been challenged several times in the past without much success by the likes of former Commonwealth Games bronze-winner Pinki Jangra.
Ace boxer, Mary Kom who has been one of the most successful Indian boxers till date was clearly irked by the manner in which she was unnecessarily dragged into this controversy. She said, “Perform and take my spot, who is stopping you? But don’t talk big without that. If you do that, I will hit back. Why was this made a media trial about me?” Referring to the controversy created by her vanquished junior, Mary Kom said, “Did I make that announcement? Whose fault was it, was it mine? I didn’t even know about it, I was told and it surprised me. Because mentally, I was prepared for a trial at that time.” She asked, “Once the trial was announced, did I say I won’t come? Then why was my name taken time and again?”
On being questioned about her refusal to appear for the trials ahead of the world championships in October, for which she was picked on the basis of her international performances, she said, “I was told by the two High-Performance Directors Santiago Nieva and Raffaele Bergamasco that the selection would be done on the basis of our performances. I asked for an exemption based on that. You ask them, I didn’t make that policy.” Speaking about the Tokyo Olympics, she said, “I will give my best wherever I compete. If I get a medal, great. Everyone says that Tokyo Olympics is my last. But I will see how my body is. In any case, I will always be attached to boxing, it is my life.”
Mary Kom has been one of the most iconic Indian boxers with a plethora of achievements in the sport. Such futile challenges and controversies created by her opponents, unfortunately, undermine her unmatched contribution to Indian boxing.
