Mary Kom
Renowned Indian boxer Mary Kom on Thursday lost a close fight against Colombian Ingrit Valencia in the women’s flyweight pre-quarterfinals at Tokyo 2020. Her bid for a second Olympic medal ended in heartbreak. Post the games, she slammed the International Olympic Committee’s Boxing Task Force for “poor judging” in her flyweight (51kg) pre-quarterfinal at the Games which she lost despite winning two of the three rounds.
The Task Force is conducting the boxing competition in Tokyo after the International Boxing Association (AIBA) was suspended by the IOC for alleged misgovernance and financial wrongdoing. The multiple-time Asian champion said this evening’s loss did not sink in even after she had gone for her dope test.
The six-time world champion was stunned with the final result as two judges ruled the bout in favor of Ingrid while two went with Mary Kom. It was Ingrid’s first win in 3 attempts against the Indian boxer. Just before realizing that she had lost, the Indian legend even raised her hand as a winner.
“I was happy inside the ring when I came out, I was happy because in my mind I knew I had won. When they took me for doping, I was still happy. Only when I saw the social media and my coach (Chhote Lal Yadav repeated it to me), it sunk in that I have lost,” she said post the defeat. “I had beaten this girl twice in the past. I couldn’t believe that her hand was raised by the referee. I swear, it hadn’t struck me that I lost, I was so sure,” she further added.
“The worst part is that there is no review or protest. Honestly, I am sure the world must have seen, this is too much of what they have done,” she said. “I should have got the second round unanimously, how was it 3-2? What happened was totally unpredictable,” she reasoned.
“I will take a break after coming back, and spend time with my family. But I am not quitting. If there is any competition, I will continue and try my luck,” she said. With a lot of heartbreak in place, MC Mary Kom closed her sentence saying if her protests worked here, she would have certainly gone for it.