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Legendary Indian boxer Mary Kom slammed Indian boxers' performance at the Paris Olympics 2024 and said that she can still perform better than them. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist said that she would have come up with a better performance had she participated in the tournament. Notably, the Indian contingent consisting of six members, had two World Champions and two World Championship medallists. However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the contingent failed to deliver any notable performance.
The 41-year-old said that she could not digest the poor performance at the Paris Olympics 2024. She said, “I felt bad from the inside, there was no progress. The Paris Olympics was disappointing, all the boxers were washed out. I could not digest their performance and just kept thinking ‘agar mai jaati to’ (If I was there instead). I can still fight better than these girls, performance wise, but could not participate due to the age limit." Kom added, “I am still training, still concerned about my fitness. I am confident that still no one could touch me for one or two rounds. That is the spirit. The current boxers don’t have confidence and you could see it.”
IOA doesn’t listen to what I suggest: Mary Kom makes shocking claim
The former Indian boxer who is also the chairperson of IOA’s athletes’ commission said that she has stopped giving suggestions to the National Olympic Committee. Kom claimed that the association doesn’t pay attention to them. Kom told PTI, "I am not into the IOA functioning. We shared so many things with IOA but they don't listen to it. I have a voice but they don't listen to what I suggest. I don't know politics and I don't want to blame anyone.”
She also said that nobody in the Boxing Federation of India sought her help ahead of the Olympics, while expressing her disappointment in the Indian boxers’ performance at Paris 2024. She added, "I can't pinpoint what went wrong because they did not invite me at all. They could have used my experience. I can tell the boxers their weak and strong points.”
