Indian Boxing Federation to Apply for Rio Wildcard for Mary Kom

Indian boxing federation to apply for the wildcard based on Mary’s ‘contribution to the sport’

(Photo: PTI)

The Road to Rio for champion boxer MC Mary Kom may not be closed shut after all.

The chairman of the ad-hoc body running the sport in India has confirmed that they will be appealing to the international boxing federation(AIBA) for a wildcard entry for Mary to the Rio games this August.

Mary had been knocked out in the second round of the Women’s Boxing World Championships in May, the second and last qualifying event for the discipline. With all three women failing to book their slots in the event, India, at this stage, only has one boxer who has qualified for the Games, Shiva Thapa in the 56kg category.

She has been a phenomenal athlete and looking at her overall contribution to the sport, we have decided to request for a wildcard for her. However, her application will be among the many that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) will examine before taking a final decision.

Kishen Narsi, Chairman of the ad-hoc boxing body

File photo of MC Mary Kom in training. May Kom is a former five-time World Champion and a bronze medalist from the London Olympics. (Photo: PTI)

The Case for Mary

The Indian boxing body is pleading her case keeping in mind the former five-time World Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist’s contribution to the sport.

The spots handed out are basically Tripartite Commission Invitation Places, for which all participating nations can apply. However in each of the three Olympics categories for women’s boxing, only one spot in up for grabs in Rio. The final decision will be made after the end of all Olympic qualifying events in the sport, and so Mary will have to wait till the end of June when the final even for men takes place in Azerbaijan.