Mary Kom to skip Asian Games to focus on World Championships

SportsCafe Desk
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Mary Kom, who won gold at previous Asian games, has withdrawn from this year’s Asian Games at Jakarta to prepare for the World Championship later this year. Women team coach, Raffaele Bergamasco, believes it would not be in her best interest to go up from 48kg to 51kg category at this stage.

Five time world champion, Mary Kom, would not be defending her Asian Games gold medal at Jakarta in August, claims a TOI report. After winning gold at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, the 35-year-old wants to prepare for the World Championship taking place in Delhi in November.

The chief coach of the women’s team, Raffaele Bergamasco, believed that it would be a tough stride for Mary Kom, who competes in the 48kg category, to move up to 51kg category at this point of time in her career. He insisted that the focus would be on keeping her fit and continuing her good performances in her weight category.   

“We believe that it will be difficult for Mary to compete in the 51kg category (there are only three categories in Asian Games boxing — 51kg, 57kg and 60kg). The competition in 51kg is quite tough with good boxers from Kazakhstan, Mongolia and South Korea. We feel that it won’t be in her best interests to go up from 48kg to 51kg at this stage. It’s important for her to remain fit and keep up her good performances in her weight category,” said Raffaele Bergamasco as quoted by TOI. 

Mary Kom won bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Back then, she was competing in 51kg category, but after failing to qualify for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, she has been competing in the 48 kg category.

Currently, Kom is training at the Olympic Performance Training Centre in Assisi, Italy with other women pugilists from India who are preparing for the Asian Games. In the past one year, Kom has won gold in Asian Championships and Commonwealth Games and now has her eye on the sixth World title.

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