Veteran Indian boxer MC Mary Kom was on Friday forced to withdraw from the 2022 Commonwealth Games 48kg trial due to a leg injury she sustained earlier today.
The six-time world champion injured herself during the first round of the 48kg semifinal against Haryana's Nitu at the Indira Gandhi International Stadium in New Delhi.
Mary, the gold medallist from the 2018 edition of the CWG, injured her knee just a minute into the bout. She received medical attention and returned to the ring to finish the match but the 39-year-old could not continue after exchanging a few punches, as she struggled to keep balance and clutched at her left leg.
She had to be carried out of the ring with referee announcing a win for Nitu by Referee Stops the Contest (RSCI). She was taken to the hospital for scans.
'With this, Mary Kom’s challenge for a spot at the Birmingham Games also came to an end,' a press statement released by the Boxing Federation of India confirmed.
Nitu will face Manju Rani in the final on Saturday, aiming to seal CWG berth in the 48kg.
The most decorated Indian boxer had given the World Championships and Asian Games a miss to concentrate on the CWG, which is to be held in Birmingham next month.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)