It has now been confirmed that Mary Kom will not be featuring at the Rio Olympics 2016 after reigning Olympic champion Nicola Adams beat Lin Yu Ting in the quarter-finals of Women’s Boxing World Championship at Astana.
It is an unanticipated disheartening start to the weekend for every Indian sports fan since the news of MC Mary Kom crashing out of the 2nd round of the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships 2016 has just arrived from Astana. The event being the final qualifiers for this year's Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro, this marks the discontinuance of the London 2012 bronze medallist’s hopes of replicating her earlier success in the 2016 edition for India.
With four quota places on offer for each weight category, Mary was required to reach the semi-final stages at least, to make the cut for Rio. Being a five-time champion at this venture, she was undoubtedly a glittering prospect for India in the 51 kg category as the tournament flagged off in the Kazakh capital this time around.
In her opening fixture on Thursday, the way she thrashed Sweden’s Juliana Soderstrom 3-0 in a convincing show to surge ahead in the challenge, not many would have foreseen the outcome that’s occurred today.
Yet, the unfortunate has happened. Taking on Germany’s Azize Nimani, the veteran pugilist succumbed to a superior show by her opponent to bow out of the championship in the second round itself. With Mary eliminated, hopes are pinned on Sarita Devi in the 60kg category to keep the Indian flag flying as we head into the Summer Olympics 2016.
