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What’s the story?
Age is just a number. This is an old maxim and we have just been reminded of it by none other than our very own Mary Kom.
The Indian boxing contingent recently landed in Delhi after their highly successful outing at the Commonwealth Games 2018. They were felicitated by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
At the event, Mary Kom was asked if, going forward, age would become a factor for her. Her reply, though, left the entire audience in titters. She said, "Who said age is a factor? Come here, I'll show you." The person who had asked the question was naturally left red-faced after this remark.
In case you didn’t know…
Mary Kom is a 35-year-old Indian boxer who has made India proud time and again. She won a bronze medal for the nation at the 2012 London Summer Olympics in the Flyweight category, has won multiple gold medals at the World Amateur Boxing Championships & Asian Women's Boxing Championship. She also won a gold medal in at the 2014 Incheon Asian games. She is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, finally winning the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in the year 2009.
She recently made India proud by winning a gold medal in Boxing Light Flyweight (48kg) category at the Commonwealth Games as she defeated Kristina O'Hara of Northern Ireland in the final bout, winning via unanimous decision.
The heart of the matter
During the press conference, one of the questions was about Mary Kom's age and how it will affect her future. This did not go down too well with Mary, she still managed to sportingly give a hilarious reply to him and handled the question really well.
Also, when asked about retirement, she said, "Who said that I am retiring, I have not thought of it yet all these are rumors. Taking part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic is a different matter, but I stand by my words that I am not retiring yet."
It is true that Mary Kom had to take a break from boxing when she got married and gave birth to three children. However, this did not stop Mary from coming back to the sport. A medal at the Commonwealth Games was the only thing missing in the kitty of the skilled boxer and she has bagged a gold medal at the CWG now to add to her illustrious career.
What’s next?
The reply Mary Kom gave today clearly showcases her spirit and defines the athlete. Age is definitely just a number for her and she will now gear up to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Author's take
Today, Mary proved yet again that she can deliver hefty blows outside the boxing ring as well. Next time someone asks her a question, they will definitely think twice as one never knows what Mary comes up with. She showed great character today when asked about her age. The veteran boxer is leading by example and it is for others to follow her footsteps. Being old does not mean that one can not continue meeting the milestones they have set for themselves. It is all a matter of willpower and perseverance.
