Mary Kom Hopes For A Memorable Swansong

Six-time World Champion Sets Sights On Elusive Gold In Her Final Olympics

- Sudeshna Ghosh

My goal is to win the elusive Olympic gold medal,” came the reply from India’s most decorated boxer while preparing for her final Games fling in the Italian town of Assisi, before reaching Tokyo on Sunday. She added, “And I hope my last Olympics turns out to be the most memorable one and I can inspire people and bring some joy in these challenging times.”

The only boxer in the world with eight World Championship medals, MC Mary Kom’s status as an inspiring sporting icon is not accurately reflected in the well-known but poorly-made Bollywood biopic. Instead, her influence looms large in the steady churning out of women boxers in the country, three of whom will accompany her in Tokyo.

Yet, as the six-time world champion was making the most of the final leg of her preparations in an Italian commune strewn with Roman remains, she was aware of the warrior-like effort she has had to put up in the last one and a half years against an opposition as formidable as Covid-19.