RIO It’s a 50- 50 chance for wild card: Mary
After failing to book her spot for Rio through the qualifiers and hoping for an entry through a wild card sought by the federation, Indian star M. C. Mary Kom remains hopeful of a ticket to the Summer Games pitting her chances at ‘ 50- 50’.
“We’ll know this month perhaps. The IOA and adhoc committee have tried and if it works out I will be very happy. And if it doesn’t, then it wasn’t in my hands. It’s 50- 50. I am still doing my workouts and hoping for the chance so I will continue to maintain my fitness. Let’s see what happens,” said the boxer at a promotional event.
While it’s not in the veteran boxer’s hand, she has no regrets as she believes that she did her best.
“I gave my best. Unfortunately we all know that in boxing sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The bout was very close. It thought I won and she thought she did. But I gave my best,” she said.
The flag- bearer for Indian women’s boxing also revealed that with the lack of a boxing federation in the country, the sport being by an ad- hoc committee, had affected the boxers.
“The lack of a federation has been a disadvantage. We want the issue to be sorted as soon as possible and get the federation in place. It will be good for the sport and for the upcoming youngsters also.
“In international events, our flags are not hoisted. No India flag, only an Aiba flag. It’s a bit upsetting. What’s the point of competing in an international tournament? Even if we bring gold, the flag doesn’t go up,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, the Manipur boxer was quite taken up with the decision to allow professional boxers into the Olympics, a breakaway ruling that has gone against the established order.
“It’s good, the competition will be better. The professionals will also follow Olympic rules so the competition will be better and everyone will improve,” she added.