Today is a bit sad for boxing fans as Mary Kom, the amazing six-time World Champion and 2012 Olympic winner, shared that she is retiring from boxing. This decision comes because of the rule that says both men and women can only do top-level boxing until they turn 40.
Also read: Virat Kohli Makes Cricket History: First Indian with 9000 T20 Runs
Mary Kom, who is now 41, really wanted to keep playing, saying, “I still want to, but I can’t because of the age rule. I have to stop. I’ve done everything I wanted in my life.”
Mary Kom is known as the first woman to get six world titles in boxing. She made history by winning a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games, being the first woman boxer from India to do so.
Mary Kom started boxing at 18 in Pennsylvania, showing everyone how good she was. Even though she didn’t win the final, people knew she would achieve a lot.
Also read: Rohit Sharma Sets New Record for Most Centuries in T20 Cricket
She became the first Indian woman to get a gold medal at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. After winning in 2008, she took a break to have twins. Then, after the 2012 Olympics, she took another break when her third child was born.
In 2018, Mary Kom came back strong at the World Championships in Delhi, winning her sixth world title by beating Ukraine’s Hanna Okhota 5-0. The next year, she won her eighth world medal, more than any male or female boxer ever.
As Mary Kom steps away from boxing, she leaves behind an inspiring legacy for all of us to remember.