Indian boxing legend and Olympic medallist Mary Kom on Wednesday announced her retirement, citing International Boxing Association's rules that permit male and female boxers to fight in elite-level only till the age of 40.
The six-time world champion, Kom said: "I still have the hunger, unfortunately because of the age limit, it is over. I cannot compete in any competition. I want to play more, but I am being forced to quit (due to the age limit). I have to retire. I have achieved everything in my life," Mary said during an event.
Her top achievement was the bronze medal she clinched at the 2012 London Olympics. The five-time Asian champion was the first female boxer from India to take home a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games.
Kom began her stint in boxing when she was just 18. At the world meet in Scranton, Russia, she proved her might despite losing the 48kg final. Kom went on become the first Indian woman to win a gold in the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Interestingly, she had a taken a break after the birth of her twins in 2008.
The best, however, was yet to come. Becoming the only female Indian boxer to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, Mary Kom went on to win the bronze alongside USA's Marlen Esparza.
Her winning streak continued as she went on to become the first Indian female boxer to win a gold medal in the Asian Games in the 2014 Incheon games. She also won the first and only Commonwealth Games medal in 2018. The Indian's last major medal came at the 2019 Ulan-Ude World Championships, where she won a bronze in the flywieght category.
