Indian boxer Mary Kom has quashed rumours about her retirement, stating she was 'misquoted.' Whilst it was reported on Wednesday (24 January) that the Olympic medallist has decided to hang her boots owing to her age, the 41-year-old has since issued a clarification, claiming that she is "still focusing on fitness."
Dear Friends from media, I haven’t announced retirement yet and I have been misquoted. I will personally come in front of media whenever I want to announce it. I have gone through some media reports stating that I have announced retirement and this is not true.Mary Kom
Explaining what led to the reports of her retirement being circulated, Mary Kom stated she was attending an event at a school in Dibrugarh on 24 January, wherein she informed the attendees about the Olympics age limit preventing her from competing.
"I was attending a school in event in Dibrugarh on 24 January 2024 wherein I was motivating children and I said “I still have hunger of achieving in sports but age limit in Olympics doesn’t allow me to participate though i can carry on with my sport. I am still focusing on my fitness and whenever I will announce retirement I will inform everyone," she confirmed.
What Is the Rule About Age Limit in Boxing?
As per the rule 2.1.2 of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) Technical & Competition Rules, the age limit of any male of female 'elite' category boxer should be between 19 and 40, so as to be eligible for competing in competitions.
In accordance with that rule, Kom – who celebrated her 41st birthday a couple of months ago – is ineligible to compete in any AIBA-governed amateur boxing event.
While the same rule applies for the Boxing Federation of India (BFI)-governed national amateur boxing competitions, the maximum age limit restriction does not pertain to professional boxing, should Kom opt for that path.
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